Pokemon: You're the Monster
by robert.williamstn
Summary: What if we didn't train Pokemon to fight our battles for us but instead harvested that power to use in hand-to-hand combat between men? Here is the original storyline retold with that notion in mind and some twists as well. With protagonist Red form the video games, we see Kanto through his eyes and a cast of other folks. New chapters should be up every Tuesday!
1. Introduction

Pokémon: You're the Monster

Introduction

It's dark and quiet. Where am I?

Clonk!

Spot lights come on, and I cover my eyes. After adjusting for a moment, I can see my final opponent standing before me. Blue smiles and throws out his first Pokémon.

"Go Pidgeot!"

"Go, Sparky!" I yell as I throw out my trusted Raichu. I evolved my trusty Pikachu from back in Viridian Forest just before this battle with a yellow stone. Now he is immensely stronger than before and will have a type advantage against Blue's flying Pokémon so I'll save my own Pidgeot for later.

"Sky Attack!" Blue yells, and I watch as the bird dives at Raichu. He takes a hit but not too hard.

"Thunderbolt!" I command. A bolt of lightning strikes the Pidgeot, and I feel my hands raise as the animal faints before I notice my own excitement. One down and five to go.

"Come back Pidgeot! Go Rhydon!"

Blue has me now. Electric attacks have no effect on ground Pokémon. I yell "Swift" and Raichu is fast enough to get the first strike, but this normal attack hardly touches the rock body of Rhydon. Blue instructs Rhydon to use "Horn Drill," and I watch Raichu fall over instantly.

"Come back Raichu!" I say as I throw out his ball and return him safely to my belt.

"Go Beast!" I exclaim and release my biggest Pokémon, a dragon like serpent creature called Gyrados. Now I have the type advantage against Blue once more, water beats ground. Training this creature from the wimpy Magikarp was no easy feat but well worth the effort in the end. Blue has Rhydon use Sand Attack to cut down Beast's accuracy, and at first Beast keeps missing he chance to strike Rhydon. At last I command Beast to use Hydro Pump and watch a fire hose like water assault knock the Rhydon down for good.

"Come back Rhydon! Go Alakazam!" Blue says as he switches out Pokémon once more. This Pokémon is Psychic and doesn't have a type advantage over Beast so I'm not sure why he chose it unless he doesn't have a better option to beat me.

"Psychic!" he yells and an energy beam strikes Beast hard. I have him use Surf on Alakazam but he endures the shot and uses Recover to heal from his wound. I have Beast use Bite multiple times, but each time Alakazam is able to Recover lost health. I have Beast try Hydro Pump once more, but he misses! A Psywave hits him, and I hold my breath as he faints at last.

"Come back Beast! Go Spike!" I yell as I throw out my Nidoking. I instruct him to use Earthquake, his most powerful ground move. The Alakazam collapses, and I see Blue furrow his brows.

"Come back Alakazam! Go Exeggutor!"

I have Nidoking use Body Slam but Exeggutor endures the hit and begins storing energy. This time I instruct Nidoking to use Earthquake, but he misses! I watch with mouth wide open as the Exeggutor knocks out Spike with Solar Beam.

"Come back Spike! Go Girly!" I say throwing out my Vileplume. I won't have a type advantage, but I'm holding back my Charizard for his strongest Pokémon on purpose. He's my trump card. I have Girly use Poison Powder on the Exeggutor and poison it. Then something I didn't plan on happens. Exeggutor uses Psychic and KOs my Vileplume. I forgot that Exeggutor is part Psychic and has a type advantage against Poison.

"Come back Girly! Go Inferno!" I call as I send out my Charizard. My evolved Charmander, the Pokémon I started my training journey with and one that I hoped to use as a last resort is who I throw out next. Blue has Exeggutor strike Inferno with Psychic as before, but he endures the hit, and we respond with Fire Blast. The grass Pokémon falls at last. Blue grits his teeth then smiles and gives me a wink. This is it, he's going to use his starter.

"Come back Exeggutor! Go Blastoise!" Now he has a fully evolved starter like me but with a type advantage again. The tide of the battle has gone back and forth so far, I can't say for sure who will win. He instructs Blastoise to attack with Hydro Pump, and Inferno takes a beating but endures the hit. Without really thinking it through, I call Inferno back and send out my last Pokémon Gale, a Pidgeot. Blue has Blastoise use Hydro Pump but luckily for me it misses this time. I use the moment to use a Full Restore on Inferno. Blastoise uses Body Slam on Gale, but she endures the hit. Then I use a Full Revive on Sparky. Blastoise strikes Gale once more and he endures the hit. Now to see if I can do some damage to this creature.

"Fly!" I command and watch as Gale soars into the air. For a moment, Blastoise can't reach her. Then she dives fast at Blastoise delivering a solid assault. He endures the blast and after a quick Water Gun, my Pidgeot finally goes down, but Blastoise is weaker, and I have two Pokémon ready to go where as Blue only has one left.

"Come back Gale! Go Sparky!" I say and throw out my Raichu once more. Blue says nothing but tightens his gaze. This is it. The next few attacks are everything.

"Thunder!" I yell and watch as massive energy slams Blastoise from the sky and knocks him out cold.

"Come back Blastoise! Go Arcanine!"

So that's it. Blue's final Pokémon is also a Fire type. No more type advantages just strikes to the end. But before I commit to my next train of thought, Blue yells something at me.

"What!?"

"Red, you need to wake up! Come on you're going to be late." As I try to make sense of this statement, everything in the room starts to get fuzzy, and I feel very faint. I close my eyes and open them to darkness. It takes a minute then I realize I'm in my bed with a blanket over my face. The covers come back and I'm blinded by light.

"Agh!"

"Come on honey, you have to get up or you're going to be late for sure!" I hear my mother say. Her face suddenly enters my sight, and I feel awake.

"Ah man! I had the coolest dream! I was training Pokémon to battle and beating all these trainers. At the end, I went against Blue and, I was about to beat him before you woke me up."

"Oh, now that's an imagination you have. Pokémon fighting battles for us. And I know that Blue isn't always nice to you honey, but you really shouldn't think about him so hatefully. If you respond hate for hate…"

"You'll only get more hate! I know Mom, I don't hate him, and I just had a cool dream. Ah never mind. I'm going to go shower!"

As the hot water touches my shoulders, I remember the plan. It's Monday, and today I'm supposed to see Professor Oak so I can get an Element Skill, but internal clock tells me I'm very behind. I quickly get in and out the shower, brush my teeth, and get dressed. I'm starting my adventure today in Kanto Championship and have to look the part. I grab my favorite clothes: a black shirt and blue jeans, my father's red jacket, and my favorite cap and sneakers. Red is important to me in meaning and wardrobe obviously, but I'll get into that later. I just know I'm running behind so much that I think I'm going to throw up. I grab my watch which reads 8:57am! I should have been up nearly an hour ago, and I have to run a few blocks across town in three minutes or I'll be late to Professor Oak's.

"Be here at 9am, Red, and I'll let you be the first to pick an Element Skill!" I hear the Professor's words in my head. "But if you get here even a minute late, I'm going to pick first!" Blue remarks in his nasal voice. Old playmate and neighbor, Blue can sometimes be the most annoying person I know, and I have to pick first or I'll never forgive myself. It's not every day that a world renowned expert in Pokémon research picks you over their idiot grandson.

"Here you go honey!" mom yells as she throws something in my hands at the front door. I look down to see a bag of jerky and carrots. Yum, survival food! I'll have to stop for breakfast after going to Oak lab. "Here's your bag," she adds, "There are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the front pocket. Sweet! I stop myself and turn to give my mother a hug and kiss.

"Bye Mom! Love you!"

"Love you honey! Good luck!" she says. I put the silver bag over one shoulder and run down the path from my house to the Pallet Town Laboratory. This journey is officially about to begin.


	2. Pallet Town

1

Shew! I made it!

I'm outside of the Oak residence along with the rest of the 10,000 folks from Pallet Town. With such a big crowd, I keep thinking I see people I know, but I'm sure it's either people I've never seen before or have seen and don't know that well. Masses fill the streets with their camera phones and chatter fills the space in between their feet. Behind them I can see handful of men in suits blocking everyone from actually stepping onto the Oak property.

"Oh man!" I remember Oak telling me to bring a VIP card so that I could get in, but I don't that I have it. I start digging into my pockets, my bag, even my hat. Ah, did I leave it? I look up and notice Green making her way to a guard with said card in hand and being allowed up the gravel driveway to the house. We're not the closest of friends, but maybe I could get her attention and they'd allow us to go in together.

"Green! Hey, Green!" I yell as I frantically run towards the house.

"Excuse me."

"Sorry."

"Excuse me."

Uh. I'm feeling nauseas. My face is hot, and I'm really mad at myself for not getting here sooner. I can see Blue making that stupid face as he taunts me.

"Slowpoke, what a joke! Where ya been loser!" he says while making an "L" with his hands.

"Red!?"

I snap out of my daydream as Daisy Oak runs into me causing me to drop my bag and nearly fall down in surprise. She just smiles and offers me a hand up.

Blue's sister has the most stunning Auburn brown her that comes down just past her shoulders, and today she's wearing a light green dress that I can't quit staring at. Sure Blue has the same color eyes and hair, but she's no Daisy.

"Come on!" she says and pulls me forward. With no trouble at all, Daisy leads me through the crowd and security. I look over my shoulder to notice several guys glaring at me now. I try to tuck my chin in and look away. Nope, they're still looking at me. I look up again. Still looking at me, ah, I'm glad about to leave town for a while.

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

Before I know it, we're halfway up the gravel driveway and the crowd below gets a little quieter. Ahead of me I can see the Oak house and laboratory. The Oaks have a beautiful home, and I've always loved coming over here after school.

The house itself is nearly 200 years old, a white two story building with columns in the front like a plantation home. The house has multiple sunrooms all the way around the base including a breezeway that connects to the very modern and metallic looking lab on the right. I've never been in the lab before today, but I know the house well enough. A lot of it is unused bedrooms and extra sitting rooms that Oak will sometimes leave boxes of who knows what in when he needs some space.

Usually Blue and I spend time sitting in the living room up front watching TV or playing games and eating snacks that Daisy makes for us. In the back of the house is a kitchen form where you can see into the field in the backyard. We used to go to catch Rattata and Pidgey with nets when we were younger out there. I can remember catching wild Pokémon and thinking about going into Monster Training back when we were ten. Apparently that's when a lot of kids started training, but Professor Oak seemed really reluctant to let us get involved in training.

I know that the professor used to be a trainer himself, but he speaks very little if at all about that. The only thing that Oak will usually talk about is Daisy's peach cobbler or sailing. He will sometimes drop a lot facts related to Pokémon, but how does he even know that stuff anyway? "Consult with Bill and Elm" he always says, but who are they? Oak is very friendly but definitely a bit off.

Anyway most of what I know about Pokémon and Monster Training comes from TV and not the elusive Professor Oak. We typically watched a few different programs that highlight Pokémon including Pokesnap, Ability Warrior, and What's That? Each one of course reveals a lot of information into the lifestyle, evolution, and beauty of various Pokémon.

Todd Snapp, host of Pokesnap, is my one of my biggest idols. He travels around the countryside, usually on his own, documenting some of the most bizarre and powerful creatures I've ever seen. My favorite show by him was a three part series where he journeyed to Cinnabar Island right after the volcano erupted. It was truly tragic the damage and loss from the lava and ash, but I couldn't help but marvel at the fire Pokémon there including Vulpix a wolf like animal and Growlithe which looked like a lion-dog.

But exciting as these shows are, Blue and I have been even more intrigued by Monster Training, a discipline of martial arts, law enforcement, and entertainment. It's a little complicated and I don't really understand it all myself which is part in why I want to know more about it. There are people that use MT to gain fame or get attention and others that are constantly using the abilities for crime. It's truly a wild world out there, but typically when I think of Monster Training, I think of people that are part of the Kanto League working on their way through the Monster Trainer Championship. Several people in Pallet Town used to be Trainers including my Dad and Blue's parents before they passed away, but since then no one has been a trainer in Pallet Town for some time, at least that I know of. For nearly 8 years there hasn't been talk about anyone becoming a Monster Trainer from Pallet Town, at least not seriously until two weeks ago.

We were sitting on the couch together in the living room with our eyes glued to the screen. Daisy had made us cookies and was sitting to the side with her friend from out of town, Erica. They were both coloring in a coloring book, but I could tell Erica was more interested in the show than Daisy who would periodically get up and find things to do. She made her way to me with her perfect smile and asked, "You boys need anything to drink?"

"No sis, park it or keep driving!" Blue growled motioning for her to move out of his way. I made a sympathetic face, but she didn't seem to notice and stormed off to the kitchen.

"Who's on tonight? Wait, is that Agatha?" says Erica.

"Yeah, she's one of the Elite Four! Apparently she knew Gramps when he was a trainer, but he quit for whatever reason, and she decided to keep going. I think she may have been Champion at one point, but has started to decline. She's still tough but one of the weaker members of the Elites now."

I see Agatha, an older woman in a purple dress and grey hair. She has what appears to be a walking stick to help her stand. How is this even fair? She can't really expect to fight in her shape. I watch as a young man dressed in black garb much like a ninja from the movies.

"Koga!"

"Who is that?"

"He's the Fuchsia City Gym Leader. I didn't know he was trying to go into the Elite Four," Erica says with a puzzled look on her face. Does she know this guy or something?

"I think Agatha is in trouble. He looks kind of scary to me," I say.

"Nah, I bet he won't last five minutes. Agatha may be old, but she's no pushover. She specializes in Ghost Element Skills," Blue chimes in. "Koga, he uses what…Fighting?"

"No, he is interested in Poison tactics," Erica says with a serious tone. Blue and I give each other a surprised look. I notice she has a Skillfinder on her wrist. I don't think Daisy is into Monster Training, but Erica is at the least. I don't know much about her. Blue hands me the bowl of cookies and with his mouth full points excitedly at the screen.

I watch each combatant, Agatha and Koga, push a button on what looks like watches and see two green bars and 12 red dots appear at the bottom of the screen.

"What just happened? What did they just touch on their wrists?"

"Red, don't you know anything? Trainers use Pokémon Skills to become Monster Trainers right?"

"Yeah? I know that!"

"Well each of them just touched a Skillfinder. The Skillfinder tracks the status of the Pokémon Skills in your body, level, and all that. You need at least one, but can use up to six different ones, and the experts try to level up six unique and powerful Skills so that you can face anybody. Agatha has a focus on Ghost Skills, and I guess Koga uses Poison ones. I think the show can pull up their Skillfinder stats on TV using Bluetooth. They probably have Skillfinder upgrades or something to do that."

I notice Erica smile and play with her Skillfinder as if she knows something Blue doesn't. I start thinking about how I need a Skillfinder myself and try to decide if I'm a leftie or rightie when the fight starts.

Koga makes a mad dash for Agatha trying to Tackle her but he goes straight through her! Wait, what!? Blue leans forward on the couch like he might fall on his face. Daisy holds a cookie to her mouth, but she can't seem to eat it. Only Erica keeps watching without the slightest hint of surprise.

Agatha's body is like a mist of fog. Koga has no hope of hitting her, but randomly she will make her Tackle him back, and I can tell that he can feel her strikes. After only a few strikes, I hear a crack and see a green bar empty and a dot disappear from under Koga's name.

"What just happened?"

"Ah man, he just lost an Element Skill. That had to hurt."

As I try to figure out what that means, I see something slip out of Koga's hands and splash on Agatha. She starts striking him again and again, and I watch as two more dots disappear form under his name. Three Element Skills gone! Agatha is winning but she isn't smiling. She's gritting her teeth.

Koga drops to a knee and tosses a pouch of Smog towards Agatha causing her to double back. I realize the liquid he threw on her earlier is some kind of Acid and eats starting to burn her arms. Agatha covers her face and we hear another crack but this time a dot disappears form under her name. She lowers her arms and takes in a deep breath.

"WHOA!"

Koga keeps throwing the Smog pellets toward Agatha as she gets up and Tackles him to the floor. Before he can get up, I see the oddest thing happen. She leans forward and gives Koga a Lick to the face! But I can tell this is no ordinary Lick because he yells wildly. The next thing we hear is yet another crack.

"Only two Monster Skills left. Koga is hardly getting to use them before Agatha knocks them out."

"What happens when they all go?" I ask.

"He's unable to fight any longer. He might Struggle but eventually he'll Faint from exhaustion," says Erica. "The Skills and Trainer are linked once bonded. You take down all the Skills, and the Trainer will be sure to follow, too."

Koga stands up tall and claps his hands. A haze engulfs him. Agatha tries to find him in the Smokescreen, but before she can get in a hit he uses Acid on her several more times. A loud crack and another dot vanishes from under her name. The haze vanishes moments later and we a terrified look on Koga's face as Agatha walks toward him. Somehow I know his luck has run out.

Agatha puts her arms out wide, and her body starts to glow. I see the color of her body invert, grey for black, purple becoming white on her clothes. Her eyes glow a light purple, and all the light in the room goes out. A flick of purple energy cuts across the room towards the place where Koga was standing and we hear him scream again.

Crack!

"Nightshade!" Blue says excitedly. "One Skill left."

Light returns to the room, and we see a defeated looking Koga on his knees with Agatha leaning ominously in front of him. She raises her hands and waves them back and forth to the rhythm of an eerie chant. I see Koga's eyes start to close. He reaches for his pouches but can't seem to get his hands where they need to go. He falls forward but Agatha catches him and leans in near his face. She whispers something, and I see what looks like a shadow come out of his face. Agatha lunges forward with teeth that extend like fangs and swallow the shadow hole. Then she lays Koga down gently and we hear the last crack. Koga has lost the match.

"OK! OK! What is that? Did she eat his brains? What are we watching here folks?" Daisy yells.

"Calm down you sissy!" Blue barks. "She used Hypnotize to put him asleep and then Dream Eater to attack his mind. It's Psychic based moves. Have you ever heard of Ghastly or Haunter? They are quite the scary Pokémon and they know all those moves she used."

"Too scary!" says Erica showing a little more emotion this time. I don't think anyone was ready for that last moment. Just as the excitement starts to die down in the living room, the door to the breezeway busts open causing Blue to jump out of his seat. He sits back down staring at the ground in front of him as if maybe that would prevent people from noticing him.

"Oh my goodness. Quite a show wasn't it?"

The Professor pops in wearing his white lab coat, slacks, and purple sippers. We look dumbfounded at one another for a minute before Blue responds.

"Gramps, were you watching the battle in the lab instead of in here with us? And…"

"Oh right! I was watching the match, yes, but I was also busy finishing up something just for you kids…um, that is Red and Blue," he says giving Erica and Daisy a knowing look. I see Daisy and Erica smile back. What don't I know?

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I'll tell you in a minute, but first of all you're going to have change that tone of voice with me young man, and pick up this living room. I didn't raise an animal, but a boy."

We notice that crumbs have fallen all over the floor from where Blue jumped, so Blue and I dive to the floor to pick them up one by one. Erica and Daisy snicker quietly while Oak grabs a bag and brings it to us.

"Much better! OK, want the good news?"

"Yeah…yes, sir!" we say.

"OK, good. Well I know we've talked about, and you two just aren't going to let this Monster Training stuff go. Well I thought about how important it is to you and well I made you Skillfinders. I have finished getting the parts in order and just need to your Element Skills for your journey."

"WHAT!? YEAH! THIS IS AWESEOME!" we exclaim standing up and jumping around.

"Uh-uh! I will have them ready for you in two weeks, but you're going to have be on your best behavior until then. No shenanigans or skipping chores Blue. Also, you both need to come here with a clear idea of what you're going to do Monster Training for. I want you to write it down and memorize if that helps."

"Ah…Gramps!"

"No whining, Blue! This is important. You don't want to be a Monster Trainer just to be a Monster Trainer. Remember the meaning of your name."

Blue furrows his brows and stares at the floor. We both know what that means, but I can't think about it now. I'm much too excited. Oak seems to know a lot about Pokémon and Element Skills, but he spent a lot of time trying to talk parents out of letting kids go into training. At Blue's 18th birthday, Oak got Blue some clothes but said his big present was on the way. Of course I think he meant to keep it a surprise, but instead Blue pressured him for days until he gave in and told him he was researching Pokémon for ES from the Kanto region. He claimed to have had a researcher looking into some rare Pokémon: Blastoise, Venusaur, and Charizard. Not long after Oak spilled the beans, he promised to give me an Element Skill as well as one to Green.

"I think it's because Gramps pities all the 'Colors' kids and didn't want it to look like he only favored his awesome grandson!" Blue teases.

"That...or maybe he thought that if he offered you an ES first, it might not look bad when he gives one to the people he actually likes as well."

We gave each other a nuggie and exchanged many more bad jokes before the day was over. I remember the birthday like it was yesterday and now here is Oak saying he is minutes away from preparing us for our journey.

For the next 14 days, I struggle to contain my excitement, but Blue actually starts acting like a recluse for some reason. He keeps saying he is "busy" most of the time. I read about Pokémon and watch nonstop shows about Monster training. Staying ay up at night, I imagine my quest across Kanto. I think I might have put off sleep all together for the last three days before it was time to see Oak, and the last night my sleep drive decides to kick back in. I fall asleep earlier than usual and sleep in past my alarm waking up in a panic, but I think I mentioned that part so I'll skip ahead to when I arrived at the lab.

2

Here I am, back at the Oak residence. Daisy opens the lab door and invites me in. I soak in the mysterious lab feeling invigorated. There are books on books, machines look they came out of a science fiction movie, and monitors everywhere. I can't help but notice a set of screens in the back. As I look closely I notice the screens show live footage of the entire property including the kitchen, living room, and perimeter around the house. Oak must keep up on us all the time while he works over here. No wonder Blue can never get anything past him.

"Super lame isn't it Red!"

I look ahead to see a table with three stones on it with Blue standing off to the right, smirk on his face.

"9:01! You snooze you lose. Ah, don't worry slowpoke, I'm feeling generous today! You can still go first."

"Thanks!" I say uneasily. Get here first and you make the first pick. That was the deal. Maybe he didn't want me to think he got the best Skill because he is Oak's grandson. Whatever, Blue, your loss!

As I step forward, Green and Professor Oak come up to the table from another room laughing. Blue rolls his eyes. He can't stand Green for some reason. I'm not sure why, but I think it's in part because she doesn't react to his humor like most people do.

"Red, good to see you!" Oak waves. Green gives me wink and stands off to my left. I don't know if I like or dislike Green myself. She was always kind of quiet in school. Well at least more recently that is, after something happened with her father. I think he got arrested for hitting her mother after the war or something, but Green refused to talk to anyone about it and instead kept to reading books in between classes. With dark brown hair and eyes, and her short green skirt and spotted hat, Green is kind of cute. But cute as she is, Daisy has a more mature and refined feel to her, and not to mention she's the one standing next to me right now. I feel her hand pat me on the shoulder and hold my breath as she leans in near my neck.

"Hey Red…" she asks.

"Yes," I say turning back and staring into her eyes. I can see my reflection in them and her wide grin makes me feel a blush in my face. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't infatuated with Blue's sister. Sometimes I think about taking her on my journey around the countryside. Maybe settling down in the woods somewhere and having a couple of kids. I wake up in a king size bed with her wrapped around my arm and asking to keep her warm.

"Red? Hey, Red?" she whispers to me.

"Yes," I whisper back. What could she want to tell me?

"What do you think of Green? She's pretty right? Have you tried to ask her out!?"

"Uh…um…I don't know!"

"Oh, my gosh! You guys would be so cute together! And both with the color names, too. I know you've thought about it."

"Yeah…I know…"

"Hey Red!" says Green. I turn around in a daze and look at her solemn face though she might be trying to force a smile. I can't tell.

"Hey, you get first pick today. We're all curious what you chose?"

"Hurry up already! I got it," I say with an uncomfortable laugh.

"Now hold on, you all remember the deal," Oak intervenes. "You have to put on the Skillfinder first then tell us what your motive for becoming a Monster Trainer is, then you can use an Element Skill."

"Ah Gramps! We know that, we just want to know what he is going to pick."

"Huh? Well OK! Which one was it Red? There are three evolutionary lines. The green one belongs to Venusaur, a Grass type. Red is Charizard, a Fire type, and blue is Blastoise, a Water type."

I won't say that I want Charizard because we are both red, Red being my name I mean or the meaning behind my name. I won't say it's because I like the color red though I do. I won't say it even necessarily has to do with the fact that I know Charizard is the faster and stronger of the three despite Blastoise's high defense stats and Venusaur's high special stats. It's not even the fact that Charizard is a cool looking, fire breathing, and flying dragon creature. Actually it's about all those things combined

"I pick Charizard line."

Oak hands a red crystal to me, and I look at it carefully. Inside I see flames like a campfire and feel a peace come over me. I raise the crystal above my head, quickly removing my hat, and crack it like an egg. I close my eyes as what feels like warm water coats my hair and drips down my face. In my head, I can see Charmander, an unevolved Charizard standing quietly in the woods. It stands upright with an ember burning atop its tail. Without a warning, Charmander growls and begins scratching at the sky and breathing flames in all directions. I feel heat in my throat and strength in my muscles. For a brief second I see my fingernails grow like claws before returning to normal.

"Man!"

Crack!

I turn to my right to see Blue cracking the blue Element Skill without a word. I see his muscles start to flex wildly under his brown shirt and blue jeans. His face tightens and eyes flicker blue. He is now filled with the ES of the Blastoise line.

"Ha! You dummy. Of course I let you go first so I could pick the one with the natural advantage. Water beats Fire, baby! Yeah!"

Crack!

We both turn to see Green following suit with the Venusaur line crystal. She holds her hat in both hands and begins to shiver as if a cold wind were in the room. I see her eyes flicker green and notice her legs and arms twitch. She groans and takes a few strained breaths before looking up at Blue.

"And Grass beats Water right?"

"Whatever…" Blue grumbles as he looks at the floor.

"To be honest, I was hoping that no one would pick this one because Venusaur grows a beautiful flower on its back. I mean if I have to pick an Element Skill from a Monster it might as well be a pretty one, right?"

We both groan.

"I'm only kidding. Well, partly that is, but come on. We all know that the reason we're here is because of our family legacy. I'm Green because of my father, and I would feel weird to pick anything other than a Grass Element Skill for my starter. Same goes for you two. You don't would have picked Red if that was your family's color Blue," Green adds.

"Whatever!" Blue yells.

"Hey you three!" Oak interrupts. "Don't forget your Skillfinders. Without these you can't monitor the status of the Element Skills in your body," Oak says as he hands them out. It looks like a metal chain watch with some very modern looking buttons on the side. I strap it on my wrist and notice a red button on the top of the face of the watch. The screen is blank so I guess it's not on yet.

"Push that button, Red," Oaks instructs. "But it will hurt for a moment, just so you know."

Hurt? I hit the red button and feel metal like teeth on the back of the Skillfinder dig into my wrist. I cover my mouth as pain courses through my body like an electric current until it stops and leaves a slight tingling in my toes. I notice that the screen on the face has turned on showing a single red dot and beneath it a green line. If I hit different buttons, numbers come up to the side of the red dot with abbreviations. I recognize the first one, BPM or heart beats per minute, and the number 65. I think that's good. Then other stats come up: HP 39, ATK 52, DEF 43, SP. ATK 60, SP. DEF 50, and SPD 65. I believe these pertain to the ES now synced to my body.

"The Skillfinder measures the quality and power of the ES in your body. Without you the Skillfinder ceases to operate, but when attached to your nervous system and heartbeat, the Skillfinder takes data of your condition. We can use it to track your progress as a Trainer with each ES skill, sure, but I have developed a newer one. One that can do much more than that! These machines will monitor your breathing, heartbeat, hormone levels, white blood and platelet count...They can even be used to communicate global positioning systems and blue tooth technologies. What's more, you can connect them to a device like a cell phone and call anyone by touching the buttons on the Skillfinder directly."

"Gramps, you just attached a smart watch to our nervous system! Isn't that like illegal or something?"

"Why do you think it took so long for me to get this device to you? I didn't know how to make it! Ha! No, it took a lot of convincing and trial studies before I could get this device approved by the Elite Four. Agatha in particular gave me a hard time."

"Why did she give you a hard time? Is there something wrong with these things?" Blue asks looking his Skillfinder over carefully.

"No! There's nothing wrong with your Skillfinder and there's no time to waste talking about that old hag! Why don't you three get out there and start your journey already!"

"Sheesh Gramps! Forget I asked."

"Hey Blue, hold on. Don't you three need to say why you're becoming Monster Trainers today before you leave?" Daisy chimes in. She looks at me with her sweet smile, but I don't feel like smiling back.

"Sure...I mean Green is right. My father has a lot to do with why I am the person I am and why I want to be a Monster Trainer. But I don't want to just do this because he did, I want to make a difference in Kanto. I'm going to travel across the country and work my way up to Elite Four. By that time, I hope to be strong enough to help in a way that truly matters."

"Great job, Red!" Daisy cheers. I can't help but smile a little.

"Boo! That story stinks," Blue pipes up. "Here's an idea, Red. I'm going to spend the next several months trying to be better than you. I'm going to beat the gyms before you get to them and learn Element Skills before you, and beat you before you get to the Elite Four."

"Blue that's not very nice. I know this is more important to you than that..." Daisy starts to say, but Blue sticks out his tongue and keeps walking.

"Yeah, yeah. Enough talking and more doing Red. Smell ya later!"

And just like that, he's off without me. What a jerk! I notice Professor Oak's face light up several shades of red before turning around to pat his coat and collect himself.

"Green, is there anything else you want to say before you go?"

"Yes, I mentioned that I am doing this out of respect for my family, but now I'll also state that I want to dispel all the rumors about my father. I don't want people to feel ashamed of Monster Training. This is all about discipline and hard work. No one who does the right thing should ever second guess themselves and I want to do what I can to make other people that strive for peace and harmony feel safe to practice what they believe in."

I don't know what she means exactly and judging by Daisy's and Oak's faces, they don't either, but I can relate to wanting people to respect family and honest work. I feel the same way, and that's why I even use the name Red, but I'll get into that later. I know Blue does feel the same way, but he is letting this Training stuff get to his head for some reason.

We say our good byes to Oak, Green and I, and head for the door. Daisy hands us each a small metal box.

"Open it."

We do and out pops a hologram of Kanto complete with 3D imaging, business and town names, and various roads.

"If you hold it next to your Skillfinder when you turn it on, the Town Map should register your location and zoom in to things nearby, but the buttons at the bottom will let you zoom out and see any place you want to go. Good luck!"

"THANK YOU!" we shout.

She gives us each a hug and off we go. Before we get very far, Green turns to me and says, "Hey Red, why don't you go ahead. I forgot some things before I got her and need to run home."

"Huh? I mean hey, I can wait on you. I'm not in a hurry like Blue."

"No that's OK. I kind of want you to go ahead of me to scare off some of the wild Pokémon for me. You understand right?" she smiles and gives me a slight punch on the shoulder before running back into town.

Well, I guess I'll head out on my own. Maybe it's better this way. I'll head through the woods behind Oak's toward the trail that leads to Viridian City for my first Gym battle. Oddly enough, just taking the Element Skill into my body has given me idea of how to fight even though I've never really fought anyone before now. That being said, I don't have much experience with training at all, mostly watching on TV, so maybe its best no one is around to see me until I get a little better.

"Viridian City, here I come!


	3. Viridian City and Forest

3

After getting through the initial line of trees, I come to a break in the tree line and find a plain filled with tall grass. Off to my left stands the telltale sign reading "Route 1." I can remember traveling to Viridian City with my father when I was younger to buy goods at the Market. We used to come the same way. I remember being excited to get out of Pallet, but because of wild Pokémon it was dangerous for me to go alone. Seeing the items designed for Monster Trainers only intrigued my curiosity.

"This is a Potion," Dad said pointing to a small canister of spray medicine.

"When you get injured in battle, spraying this on the affected area will restore some of the damage. If you want to recover more health or treat some other status problem, you would have to look for different items. If you're badly injured or need to rest, the place to go is the Focus."

The Focus and Market are both services available to the public in larger cities. There were of course other places to stop and sleep or get wares, but these two hold the standard. Pallet Town has a diner and inn, but I've heard that there are food trucks and bed and breakfasts in faraway towns. More recently Daisy told me about a shopping center or Mall in Celadon City.

"I'm so jealous of Erica! She has all the finest clothes and things right under her nose. Of course she wears kimonos which are just wonderful, but you know they must have the most beautiful dresses there of every style!"

When I make it to Viridian City, the first thing I see is the town Focus. No fancy malls or dresses here. The town itself is about as big as Pallet Town but more people live here, roughly 28,000 or so. I want to maybe check out the town for a little while but not linger here too long and see new places. I can see a tall building in the north side of town, the local Gym, and head that way. I pass several houses and climb a small hill to the big building but something is wrong.

I get closer and closer noticing there are no lights on and no one around outside. When I get within a few feet of the door, I find a red letter sign that says "Temporarily closed! Sorry for the inconvenience. We will reopen soon."

I ball up a fist and hit the door.

"Now what!" I yell to myself or so I think.

"Stinks, huh?"

I turn around to see Blue behind me with his typical smirk.

"Hey man, what gives!? You just ran off and left us."

"Red, you know I'm my own man. I got to be the best without anyone helping me or I'll be weak. You feel the same way; you just won't admit it."

"Hey, I don't want to be weak or anything, but that doesn't mean I have to be a jerk wad to my friends!"

"Ah chill Red. You take everything the wrong way. Tell you what, I'll do something kind for you. Did you happen to bring any Pokecrystals?"

"Um…well, no. I hadn't thought about it to be honest."

"Ha…OK, look I won't say anything just take some OK," he says as he hands me a satchel with small crystals in it. They are roughly the size and shape of a baseball and all clear like glass.

"Peace offering. Hold one of those up to a Pokémon you want skills from and if you're successful your crystal will change into an Element Skill. I went ahead and caught one from a Pidgey," he says showing me his Skillfinder. I notice the blue dot, Blastoise line or in this case, the ES of a Squirtle. I also see a white dot for the Pidgey.

"Try to keep a balanced team. You may think that Fire is cool, but you kind of screwed yourself over for the next few gyms. Just saying. Well, I better head out. I was just about to head into the Viridian Forest. I think I can get my Pewter City Belt before dinner!"

"What!? Hey wait," I say as he turns to leave. "What are you saying about the gyms? Why is Fire not good?"

Blue just looks back with a mean smile and keeps walking. I officially need new friends.

"Hey Blue! Red!"

I turn and see Green running frantically up the hill towards me. In the time I last saw her, Green has changed into a stunning black dress and some heels which makes her ascent towards me all the more challenging. I've noticed that she isn't wearing her favorite hat and must have stuffed it in the backpack in her hands. She has put on some lipstick and makeup and some of perfume that smells quite nice but perhaps is a little overpowering.

"Where is he going now? This is the place right? CLOSED!" she booms noticing the sign. "Oh no, I came all this way for nothing."

"You dressed up so…nice. Um…why did you do that exactly? Also, how did you do that so fast?"

"Ah, Red I'm a woman that's how! And what do you mean why? Do I not look good? OH MY GOSH! Is it my hair?" she asks as she touches it nervously. "Or my make up?" she adds as she pulls out a compact and checks her face.

"Oh no, I mean you look great! I mean like really, like a knockout," I insist.

Knockout? Uh, too much. Green gives me a big smile. She truly looks stunning in that dress. It covers her skin except for her arms and legs but hugs her frame in the right places.

"Oh…thank you Red!"

"I'm sorry, I meant that…you know it's a battle. You wouldn't want to wear those clothes to fight, right?"

"Oh, my gosh! You're right! I just was so excited. I mean this is probably the biggest thing I've ever done and wanted to dress for the occasion. Ugh, I feel so dumb!"

"Hey, it's cool. The gym was closed anyway. Tell you what, I haven't been here since my father took me when I was 10. Want to walk around?"

"Oh, OK. Yes, that would be fun. Wait! What about Blue?"

"Oh. I don't know what his deal is. He wants to do everything on his own all of a sudden. We could chase him, but I think he'll keep running off."

"You know what it is, Red. He's thinking about his parents."

"Maybe."

"No, I think that's what it is. You lost your father in the war but still have your mother, and both of my parents came back. Blue lost both of his, first a son one day and an orphan the next."

"I mean I don't disagree with you all. I can't imagine what that's like, but I mean just look at Daisy. She lost both parents, too, and she doesn't act like him at all."

"People grieve in different ways. I bet it was hard for Daisy, too. She always looks happy, sure, but she also runs around like a busy bee. I mean I see her always going out of town with friends and walking around a lot. You've been to the Oak home. Does she sit down?"

I think about that for a moment. Yes, I've seen Daisy sitting down, but to be honest, it's never for long. And though she does have a smile, she always seems to be moving in a speed range just above everyone else around her.

"I hadn't thought about it like that. Maybe you're right."

"Ha ha, I'm always right!" Green smiles and hits me on the shoulder.

"Ow! Hey," I yell as she takes off her heels and runs down the hill. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"I'M GOING TO THE FOCUS TO CHANGE!"

"WAIT FOR ME!" I call out to her and rush to catch up.

We make our way back into town and find the Focus logo, a green sphere with a double helix in the middle, on a building in the east side of town. The doors to go inside are glass and open automatically. A pretty lady in a pink dress stands behind the front desk to check people in. We walk up to her, but before I can say a word Green notices a sign for "RESTROOMS" and bee lines it down the hall. The lady behind the desk simply smiles.

"Hey young man, do you need help with anything today?"

"No, ma'am, I'm just going to wait on my friend to change is all."

"OK! Have you by chance been here before?"

"Yes, actually, I think but not any time soon. I came here about 7-8 years ago with my Dad. He came in to get some treatment on his hands I think over there," I say pointing to a big machine. It looks like a metal bed with a glass bubble over the top and has many tubes and computer screens connected to it.

"Oh yes, the Recovery Pod! It's the leading piece of technology in restorative equipment and medicine. Every Focus in Kanto has several now. They use pure energy to rejuvenate lost stamina and heal illness in the body. Of course they can't do everything, but they get all the daily bumps and bruises under control. Most of the time, we use them for Monster Trainers on their journeys. Are you a Monster Trainer?"

"YES! Well actually I just started. I'm from Pallet Town."

"Pallet Town! Oh wow, we haven't seen any trainers from there since the war."

"Yes, my friends and I all lost someone in the war. My friend Blue, well his grandfather talked us out of becoming a Monster Trainer until now. I think because he didn't want us to get hurt."

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry to hear that. Who did you lose if you don't mind me asking?"

"My father, Satoshi Himura, Sr. was a Trainer, and one day he got drafted to fight in the war. He was part of the Red Unit and…well after he died…"

"You took Red for your name out of respect for his service."

"Sort of, I mean I don't really understand what happened in the war nor do I want to know. I just know my Dad was a great man. But right now I'm Red, not Satoshi."

"Wow, that's such a powerful story. You know, I've heard about the war from many veterans, but you're only the second one I've met to tell me about taking the color for a name."

"Oh you must mean Jack or now he goes by Blue. His father was Shigeru Mizushima, and he was in the Blue unit. My friend over there was Kyomi Hayashi. Her parents are still alive, but her father was severely injured in the war. He can't train ever again. She took the name Green because of his unit."

"Oh dear, that is fascinating and all, but I could have sworn this young man's name was Yellow."

"Yellow? I don't know anyone named Yellow."

"Pretty sure. Oh, and did you say Hayashi? She isn't related to a man that is physically abusive is she? I heard rumors that a man was hitting his wife in Pallet Town by that name."

"HE DOESN'T HIT ANYONE!" yells an outraged Green across the building.

Some people stare with mouths open and eyes wide.

"Miss, I apologize. I didn't…"

"Let's go, Red!"

I give the attendant a sympathetic look as Green grabs my arm and drags me outside. I notice she has changed into a blue shirt and red skirt and sneakers and put her hat back on this time.

"UGH! The nerve of that woman!"

I try not to say anything. I don't Green very well, but I know from seeing her in class she doesn't talk much until you mention her family. I saw her pick a boy up and throw him out a window once. Luckily for him it was a first story room and he didn't fall very far. The teacher had raised her hand to say something, but Green left the room and sat in the principal's office without saying a word. In fact, I don't think she opened her mouth to breathe the rest of the week. This is the woman I'm traveling with right now. I should definitely find new friends! Well maybe I can make the best of it.

"Hey Green, I know don't want people disrespecting your family. And I don't want to make the same mistake, but..."

"What happened?" she says before I can.

"Yeah!"

"All right I'll tell you, but I don't want you to start spreading rumors after I do or I'll never forgive you."

"Geez, I won't! I mean really, did someone actually do that?"

"YOU HEARD THAT LADY!"

"Yeah, what is that about?"

"I told some friends of mine...one friend of mine something, and they used it against me. My Dad came back from the war with an injury, irreparable damage to his spinal cord. He can walk but barely and definitely can't work or train. He didn't want to go into the war but got drafted. My Dad was a fisherman for crying out loud! Anyway, he came back and couldn't do anything so Mom had to start working full time. He got depressed and started drinking, and every now and then we have to go and pick him up at the Focus or look for him around town."

"Sometimes people say cruel words about things they don't understand. I don't know why, but once I told my friend about Dad, or ex-friend I should say, everyone started talking about him. Drunkard and wife-beater and pedophile even. I can't believe the things they said about him, still say about him. My Dad has a drinking problem. I won't deny it, but picking on him and calling him names won't help us. Now people come up and ask me if I need a place to stay or if I have any bruises? Do you know how insulting that is?"

I shake my head "No" and see her eyes get watery. At that moment, I remember some kids at school saying a jingle about "Old man Stan, hugging the can" but I decide to keep this to myself. I pull on my hand causing her to stop walking and turn her towards me. She looks at the ground as she wipes her face with her other hand.

"I'm really sorry, Green, I didn't know. People can be so mean and not know it, but you know the truth about your family and now so do I. Hold onto that and it will set you free no matter what. Why don't we get out of this town, I think we've been here long enough, and besides I don't want Blue thinking he's got an advantage over us."

She looks me in the eyes and forces a smile.

"You really want to leave? Where do we go now?"

"We go to the next town over, Pewter City. We'll have to pass through the Viridian Forest to get there. There's lots of bugs in there, but we won't be in there for too long."

"What's wrong with bugs? I happen to like bugs I'll have you know!"

"OK, bugs it is!" I say before both of our stomachs growl.

"Ah man, I forgot to eat!"

"Me, too!"

"Do you care if we stop for lunch first? My treat!"

"Sure, I'm game. Where to?"

I notice a building with a Magikarp figure on a pole above it, the emblem for a Market. I point and she sees it, too. We walk down the street and are there in no time. We order some Goldeeners, a grilled fish wrap and staple to Kanto. I've heard in other countries to people lots of pork, beef, or chicken, but here it's all about fish.

4

We head across town and make our way for the forest. At the edge of town is some tall grass that leads into the woods and a sign reading "Route 2." Another behind it reads "Viridian City" and a third reads "To Pewter City." We cross through the tall grass and pass some trainers along the way. Each of them looks about 10-12 years old and very run down as if they haven't slept in days. They slowly creep towards town without much more than the occasional groan. At the entrance to the first stands a boy of the same age with a net in hand and a finger pointed in our direction.

"You there! Are you Monster Trainers?"

"We are! I mean we just started."

"Then I insist on a battle!"

"I…uh," but before I can get a word in the kid rushes me.

He runs into me knocking me down. I feel a little shaken but mostly ticked by this kid. What's his deal? Without thinking much at all, I raise my hand and Scratch him across the face. He doubles back then rushes me again. This time I Scratch him a few times before he makes a hit and he falls down for good. I feel a little bad for the guy who looks very nauseous all of sudden.

"You are the victor," he says and offers me some money.

"What is this?"

"Your reward! Winning matches earns money. It's yours."

I try to walk by him, but he keeps trying to slap the money on me. I take it and say, "Thanks" before motioning for Green to follow me.

"You had your first Monster Match, how exciting!"

"Sure, I guess. I always wanted to face Blue first." She doesn't answer me.

"What's that!?" she says and runs ahead of me.

I see her turn around a corner and notice a yellow trail on the ground. A yellow dye has been put in a dirt path leading travelers through the forest towards Pewter City. I get on the trail and turn right. A head of me I see Green looking at something in a tree.

"Darn, I lost it!"

"Lost what?" I ask.

I feel something rustling in the tree above me and look up. A Caterpie falls and lands on my shoulder. I try to swat it off but its sticky feet keep it from coming off. I look up just in time to see a crystal fly at my face.

BAM!

My arms flail out and grab Green as I fall to the ground. Landing hard on a root, I curl up and grab for my back.

"OW! What the heck!?"

"Red, you let him get away? Ow…hey, you cut my leg!" I sit up and see her cradling her right knee. A red line of blood trickles down her leg. I take off my bag and dig to the bottom then open the compartments on the front until I find a Potion.

"Here!" I say.

"Whoa! What's that?" she says pushing my hand back.

"It's OK! This is a Potion."

She drops her hands and looks away. I shake the can and spray on her cut. I hear her groan for a second then look back. The cut stops bleeding and I hold my hand over it to help it seal.

"Ow! Thanks! Sorry, I wanted to catch that Caterpie. He looked so cute. I bet he would make a great pet."

"Green, were Trainers not collectors. Are you going to try and catch'em all or something?"

"Of course not! I only want to get more Element Skills and I might as well get some from the cuter Pokémon!"

I nod and let go of her knee. The cut has sealed. I pull out some out sanitizer and wipe my hands and then share it with her. After another deep breath, I offer my hand and we both stand back up.

"OK, don't hate me, but I see another," she says pointing at a Caterpie crawling up a tree.

We walk towards it and hear some rustling above just like before; however, when we look up we see dozens of Caterpie. Before we can move out of the way, the horde fall on top of us. I try to run and Scratch them off but there is so many of them it takes several minutes. Eventually they all start to crawl away into the trees and I look back at Green. She pants and forces a smile then holds up her crystal, now a greenish brown.

"You did it!"

Without a word, she takes off her hat and cracks the ES on her head. I see her eyes glow a bright yellow for a second just like a Caterpie then go back to normal. She has transitioned from one skill to the next.

"OK! That feels awesome. Tell you what, can you fight me? I want to know if I'm any good at this Monster Training stuff."

"Are you sure?"

"YES! Come get me!" she says and starts to walk backwards.

I decide to humor her and walk forward. She points at my left and makes a strand appear which she connects to two trees. I try to walk forward, but the strand holds me back like a rope. I run up to the strand and push and make through but only with much effort. Green starts running and I realize she is getting too far away.

"Come on! Are you scared? You're too slow." she says giving me a smile.

I smile back and decide to play along. I run forward trying to Scratch her, but she quickly uses Stringshot forming another barrier. I Scratch it out of the way but not before she uses the move three more times. I Scratch those bands back but she has used the move multiple times now forming a sort of wall I can barely see through. I try to look around the wall only to see her rushing toward me from my left. I turn to stop her, but she Tackles me to the ground. My claws extend as I reach for her, but she has me pinned.

I want to push her off me but can't and instead let out a Growl. It's just enough to surprise Green so I can Scratch her across the face. She falls back, and I hear a crack. Her Caterpie Element Skill broke. I see her take a deep breath and her eyes flicker a deep green as before. The transition must be happening again. It looks like it leaves you vulnerable for a moment but not for long.

"Why are you holding back!?"

Before I can respond she Tackles me again, much harder this time. I swing my hands and deliver a few good Scratches making her fall back. Green gets low and charges for another Tackle, but I feel some new power in me. Just at the critical moment before she hits me, I open my mouth and feel a concentrated blast of heat pour out. The Ember crashes into Green and she pauses. Her eyes roll in her head and Green collapses to the ground!

"Green? GREEN!"

I drop by her side just in time to hear another crack. Green's eyes close, and she lies perfectly still. Both of her Element Skills broke. I won the fight but is she OK? I put a hand to her cheek and she stirs.

"Red?"

"Yes, I'm here!"

"I don't feel very good. I...OW!"

She leans forward, and a Weedle emerges from behind her. It eyes me threateningly then scurries away as I lean close to Green. I notice a thin needle sticking out of her shirt just above the waist line.

"Green, you've been stung by a Weedle!"

"Poison...Sting..."

"Right! I need to remove the needle and use an Antidote. Let me look for one in my bag," I say as I search through it. Not a one. I double check as Green starts grabbing at her back.

"Green, I'll get it out for you. It's going to be OK. Do you know if you have an Antidote in your bag?"

She shakes her head "Yes" then quickly switches to "No" again before falling forward on her face.

"Green, hang on!"

I pull her up and notice purple veins stretching across her face. Not only did I break both of her Element Skills, Green has been poisoned. She is in no state to do anything and if I don't act fast, well I don't want to think about what could happen.

I lean Green towards me and reach for the Poison Sting in her back. Before I use my hands, I catch myself and pullout a multifunction tool from my pants and use the tweezers to pull the needle out nice and slow. I feel Green take in a deep breath, but then she is still once more. I lift up her shirt just slightly to see her back. A green bump stands where the needle entered her skin and spider web like purple lines extend in every direction from it.

Is this what happens after MTC goes off? Do people fall out and get rushed to the hospital? I thought Blue told me that Skillfinders keep you from dying. Maybe there are limits to how alive you can be following a match. Is this what we signed up for when we decided to become Monster Trainers?

I lay Green down on her side and start to search through the compartments of her bag. It's a little uncomfortable for me as I don't know her that well and imagine she wouldn't normally want a boy rummaging through her personal things. She has some clothes in her bag in the middle which I try to look blindly through, feeling with my fingers for something that feels like a bottle instead of cotton. I'm surprised at how little clothes there seem to be. Don't girls usually pack lots of makeup and pairs of shoes? From the looks of things, Green changed into her clothes from earlier this morning and brought only her dress and a couple other things which she crammed into her bag. She packed so light but why?

I start looking through the compartments on the outside of her backpack as Green gives a low moan.

I dig through each section finding various things including a wallet, some snacks and her cell phone. I notice that it has many notifications on the screen. 7 missed calls from "Mom." I put the phone aside and find a bag of tissues and some hygiene products. No Antidotes! I need to rush Green to the nearest Focus.

I return all the items in each of our bags to their respective homes and slide Green's backpack onto her back, sitting her up as I put the straps over each shoulder. She leans into me as I cradle her head with my right arm and her knees with my left arm.

"Red…"

Scooping her up off the ground, I stand and ready myself to walk out of this forest. Scanning the ground, I notice I'm far away from the trail that leads to Pewter City so I carefully make me way through the trees back to the path. I make a couple turns without any incident and without any noise other than the faint sound of hissing in the trees. I walk on for several minutes in near silence. Nothing bothers me but the slight pain in my feet from the walking. I'm starting to get bored, but perhaps its' better this way. Green looks very ill and feels warm in my hands. I have to keep going. If I'm lucky, I won't run into anymore bugs or trainers.

"HEY! Stop there!"

A group of girls emerge from an alcove to my right. They all have their fists raised like they want to fight. I don't stop and try to keep walking to ignore them. One of the girls points a finger and a Stringshot extends in front of me, blocking my path. I don't have time for this! Turning to my right, I spit out Embers at the girls making them jump back. I duck under the strand and continue moving. I hear the girls yell, but they don't follow me.

I keep pressing forward and pass more bug catchers. Some raise their hands and try to say something as I pass by, but I don't let me eyes cross theirs. My gaze is steady and unbroken. I see several Caterpie running around a bend in the road, but as I get closer they dive into some tall grass out of sight. I round the bend and see an opening in the trees. Just as I start to feel like I'll never get out of this place, my patience is rewarded.

I exit the forest and step onto a leveled stone path and see a sign to my right that reads "Pewter City."

The Focus is dead ahead, so I speed walk into town passing people along the way. Some of them gasps and pause with wide eyes while others don't seem to notice. I think some of them try to say something to me, but I block them out. I pass through the automatic doors of the Focus, and a lady in pink runs up to me right away.

"What's happened?"

"We battled…and I broke the Element Skills…then Weedle…Poison Sting," I struggle to speak coherently.

"It's OK. Bring her back here," the nurse says as she motions for us to enter a room to the left. She points to a bed and helps me to sit Green down, take off her bag, and lay her down. The nurse then has me sit in a chair to the side while she pulls out a tablet from the wall and begins typing something. I see her hit a red button and a glass dome suddenly encompasses Green. Some lights on the bed come on kind of like the ones on an airplane, and mist enters the dome. Green begins to grimace and roll back and forth slowly before turning on her side and being still once more. I see parts of her skin start to glow as if light were traveling into her body instead of oxygen. Her face relaxes and she looks like she is just sleeping.

Some beeping starts, and the dome opens once more. Green opens her eyes slowly and looks around the room. As she starts to sit up, I come to her aid though she seems totally fine. The color in her face has returned to normal, and I as I touch her cheek with my hand, I can tell her temperature has gone back down.

"What happened?"

"Miss, your ES was completed empty. When that happens you are naturally weaker and more vulnerable to injury or illness. This young man…"

"Red," I tell her.

"Red, here said that you were poisoned by a Weedle. If he had not brought here as soon as he had, well if you waited much longer you could have died. Please make sure to get some Antidotes before you head back into the Forest next time! You can thank your hero. I'll put this down in your chart and be right back," she says before slipping out of the room.

I notice Green's face glow red and I feel a little embarrassed myself.

"I'm glad you're OK."

"Me, too," she says looking into my eyes with a smile. "Thank you!"

Bzzzt! Bzzzt!

We look around the room trying to determine what the noise is and discover Green's phone is vibrating.

She quickly grabs the phone and clicks a button to make the vibrating stop.

"Hey, is everything OK?"

"I'm fine! Why?"

"I noticed earlier that your Mom had tried to call you. Did you forget something at your house?"

"Probably…it's no big deal."

"Aren't you going to call her back?"

"WHY ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT IT!?" she barks then taking a deep breath she adds, "I'm sorry. I…don't mean to yell."

"Are your parents mad that you left? What did they think about you leaving to be a Monster Trainer today?"

"Ha," she laughs looking a little nervous. "They didn't think about it at all."

"You didn't tell them?"

"No, and please don't try to make me call them or tell anyone. I don't to want to deal with this right now. I just…"

"It's OK!" I say cutting her off. "You need a change of pace. I hear you. It's not my business anyway."

Green leans forward and smiles at me again.

"You're cool Red. I didn't mean to be snappy with you. You're only trying to help. I can't…how did I get here?"

"Uh…well I carried you."

"OH MY! It…wasn't a dream," she says and looks away as she covers her mouth. Green notices her bag again and pulls it in front of her. She begins looking through her things for something then pulls out a piece of gum.

"I hope nothing is out of place," I start. Green stops chewing and looks at me confused.

"Well you were poisoned so I looked through your bag for an Antidote, but I guess you didn't have one."

"Oh!" she says then squints her eyes. She looks intently at the bag then back at me.

"I tried not to look. Honest!"

"Ha ha! You saw my underwear in there didn't you!"

"NO! I mean, no."

"Did you take some of my money from my wallet?" she says pulling it out.

"I…no."

She doesn't look inside but simply flips it open and lets the contents fall on the bed, a few breath mints and a coupon for the diner in Pallet Town drop out.

Her face softens, and I can tell she's joking with me.

"I didn't think so, just giving you a hard time, Red. You know you're all right. Why didn't we talk more back home?"

"I don't know. I mean I know I live on east side and you what…."

"West side," she nods.

"Right well and then I was in different classes than you except maybe in elementary school. I think we had the same lunch, but I always spent time hanging out with Blue and Steve. We kind of did everything together in middle school. Steve moved away freshman year for Johto. I haven't seen him since, just the occasional email."

"What did you do with Blue and Steve?"

"OH! Well I mean we were in the Science Club. There were other people I mean, but I didn't hang out with them after school. And we also did Band."

"Band!?"

"Well actually Woodwinds."

"Wait, I remember. You played the flute, right?"

"Yeah."

"You're a music maestro! Whoa!"

"Didn't you do Choir?"

"Oh, yes. Don't remind me!"

"I thought you had a great voice if I remember correctly."

"Well thanks. My parents did as well, but we always did the most boring songs. I'm glad it's over. And by the way, no instruments or clubs. I had some friends named Emily and Claire. We were close and all but then the whole parent's thing. No one handled that after it got started."

"What started?"

"Well girls stick together you know, unless they don't. We were great actually until I told them about my crush. Then Claire got jealous and Emily made this stupid letter about me and my Dad getting into a fight. Before I knew it, people started saying he was a wife beater and did all these terrible things to people."

"All this over a crush? Who was it?"

"Blue," she says.

I feel my face go numb and sit down in the chair behind me.

"I mean not that it matters. He doesn't even know I exist. I think he would go out with Claire any day before me. He probably already has."

"I don't think so," I reply.

"Oh?"

"I mean he didn't mention her at least," I say. Neither of us truly had a girlfriend in high school, but Blue was definitely a flirt. Ever since middle school, Blue started using styling wax to on his hair and applied colognes before going to school. He had a sort of charm you could say, but I think he was too cool to be tied down. Usually we just talked about the hot girls in the Science Club, but I don't think he went out of with any of them.

"Did he ever mention me?"

"Uh…I don't think so," I say.

I suddenly remember the two of us sitting together at lunch watching girls pass by and trying to determine who was attractive and who wasn't. When Green passed by, I remember Blue whispering "nice legs" to which I nodded. She really does have nice legs I think as I look at them now. I look up and see her noticing my attention is off and stumble out of chair.

"WHOA!"

"Hey, are you OK?"

"Yeah," I shrug. "I was just remembering things from high school and slipped out of my chair. Ha ha!"

"What kind of thing did you remember?"

"OH! Right did I tell you we're in Pewter City?" I say trying to switch topics.

"You're avoiding the subject," she says quietly.

"We should try to hit up the gym."

The nurse walks back in and asks if we need anything else. We tell her "no" and head back outside.

"That's the Fossil Museum! We should go there sometime," Green says pointing to a large building to the north. I nod and point next to the museum.

"Look, it's the gym!"

We make it to the gym and peep through the glass windows. I can see inside where several trainers are sparring. As we open the door, I hear a familiar voice call out.

"Red! Green! Where have you two bee? You having a picnic in the park or something?"

Blue walks up to us and shows us a Grey Belt. A stylized stone on the belt flickers when he turns it much like any reflective clothing for runners or traffic guards. He has already beaten the first gym.

"Green, you should go ahead and get you a belt, too. It's in the bag."

"But Blue I just started training today, and I had to go to the Focus because I got poisoned…"

"Ah don't worry about it. You are a beginner so they pair you with a beginner to get your first belt. The only one that has to worry is Red here."

"Oh yeah, why's that!? I came here to get a belt, and I won't leave until I get one!"

"Did I hear you say that you're here to get a Boulder Belt?" says a man as he walks up to me.

"Yes," I say confidently.

"Are you ready to fight?"

I look to Green and Blue, and both motion for me to follow him. He leads us past some of the matches to a mat at the back of the studio. The man walks off without another word. Before I can speak, another younger man steps forward. He has on jeans and what looks like a thick coat made of coal. His eyes squint under his spiky hair, and he crosses his big arms as he puts his boots on the mat. I step onto the mat and notice it doesn't give like foam as I thought it would. Actually it feels solid like stone. This floor will be hard me to move on let alone fight.

"Hello there, you have no belts and come from Pallet Town like your friend here right?"

"Uh yes. I mean, YES!" Blue must have talked about me to this guy.

"My name is Brock. I will fight you. If you can defeat me, the Grey Belt is yours," he says and the man that walked off earlier returns holding the Grey Belt above his head like a trophy. The Boulder logo shimmers in the reflection of the gym's overhead lights.

"OK, Brock! Let's fight!"


	4. Pewter City

5

A small crowd starts to form around us, and I feel a little dizzy from the attention. I have just started training today and fought basically no one except for other amateurs. The kids in Viridian Forest didn't really challenge me because my starter Evolutionary line was too strong. Is that why Oak gave the ones he gave to the three of us? He knew how powerful they are. I technically fought with Green already, too; however, I had a type advantage to her two skills, and she was new to training anyway. The guy in front of me is different. A Gym Leader himself though he seems to have adopted some skills that make him as weak as beginners. How does that work exactly? I can't think about this now. It's time to fight!

I run forward and Scratch him hard on the face, but he barely flinches. I notice Brock squeeze himself with his arms like he's giving himself a hug, and his skin glows slightly. I Scratch him again and again, and he keeps squeezing himself. It's like I'm attacking a wall of granite. Time to change tactics!

I open my mouth to spew Embers on him. I can tell that has a different impact as he finally loosens up and steps back. I get ready to spew several more flames on him when he gets low and rushes for a Tackle.

Boom!

I fall hard on the rocky floor, and every time I try to get back up, he pushes me back down. I feel myself getting more and more fatigued. I can't seem to beat him. It hurts my pride and my body, but I can't do anything. I cough up some Embers again, but then I see him coming for another solid Tackle.

Booooom!

I fall back and for a moment everything goes black. When I wake up, I'm in a bed at the end of the room. It looks very similar to the one Green used at the Focus. My ES must have broken. I only had one, and I lost my first important match.

"GREAT JOB, GREEN!" I hear someone say.

I shake my head and look around to see a small group of people gather around Blue and Green. Green is holding a Grey Belt in the air for all to see. Man, how long was I out? Are you telling me that Green beat Brock when I lost so easily? Ouch! My body feels completely restored, but I feel embarrassed. I want to go home and hide in my bed. Maybe this is all a bad dream, and I just need to wake up.

I see Brock wave his arms, and the crowd disbands as he makes his way towards me.

"Blue, you can relax. We record battles in live time for special programs, yes," Brock says to a very frantic looking Blue. "But the regular cable program will air matches every night around 5pm. You'll have your moment of fame!"

"Awesome! I just want Gramps to quit giving me such a hard time already."

"Wow, so my victory will be on TV!?" Green says.

"Sure will. I bet your parents will be proud!" Brock replies. I see Green force a smile and nod though she doesn't seem happy to me.

"Wait, that means...My loss will be..."

"All matches in Monster Training Gyms are aired on TV, Red. Don't sweat it! Most people fail their first match with a Gym Leader. Your friends here just happened to be an exception to the rule."

But I don't feel better when he says this. It's really happening. Victory Ship has sailed with Blue and Green on it, and I missed the boat.

"Yeah, Red! Don't worry about feeling like a loser or anything. Just go catch another ES and train and maybe you'll catch up with me sometime this year." Blue chirps and walks off. I see Green roll her eyes.

"Don't listen to him. Believe it or not, he really respects you," she reassures me. "And I know I wouldn't have been able to face Brock today if I hadn't fought with you first. I really owe you one. You and the ES skills I have."

"Thanks!" I say feeling a little reassured now. "Maybe I can turn things around with more training. I need to actually come up with a plan instead of just winging it. I still don't feel great, but you're right."

"I'm always right!" she winks. "And cheer up! If it makes you feel any better, your biggest challenge was type advantage. Fire and Normal moves don't work well against Rock. Bug doesn't either by the way. My Caterpie ES lasted like three seconds!" she laughs. I laugh a little, too.

"Grass and Water beat Rock, but otherwise we probably would have been too weak to take on Brock," she adds. I notice Blue looking bored at the ceiling as if this doesn't concern him. "Brock uses Rock Element Skills which have high Defense scores and when he did Defense Curl with you, you had no chance of doing any damage on him."

I look at Brock and he nods. It sure felt the whole "no chance" part.

"OK...I'm going to go back and find another Pokémon to get a skill from and come back. Want to come?"

"Actually…" Green says looking concerned, "Blue asked me to come with him to Cerulean City. I don't know for sure, but I think he likes me!" She says to me in a whisper. I notice he is twiddling with his thumbs. "You understand right? Can we meet up later in the next town?" she says practically glowing.

"Uh...yeah. No, I understand. You guys go ahead, and I'll catch up with you soon."

Green thanks me and runs off to catch up with Blue. I look up and see Brock still watching me intently.

"Hurry on and get back here, Red. I have a feeling our next match will be very different," Brock says giving me a wink and then disappears in the gym.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

I check my phone and see several texts from Mom.

"Hey!"

"Professor Oak has satellite channels and told me you just lost the first match. How are you doing?"

"I heard that Blue and Green won. Tell them congrats from me!"

"Did you eat lunch? Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

I sigh and close my phone then open it back up. I respond with simple responses to each question instead of elaborating and tell Mom I'll talk to her later then turn my phone off. I'm glad that Oak can give everyone in Pallet Town instant updates on my training success or lack thereof. Not! How embarrassing!

Jumping down from the recovery bed and passing some people on the way to the door, I try to say the least amount possible. When I get outside I notice the sun is setting. I will have to spend the rest of the night looking for a Pokémon in the dark. Great! How far behind Blue and Green is this going to get me? Before long I can see the Viridian Forest. At the entrance, I can see a few trainers waiting to battle. I try my best to walk past them.

"Hey man, what gives?"

"Are you a trainer?"

"Let's battle!"

"Please I need to find something before daylight goes. Maybe later," I say.

I keep walking and make my way into the woods. I pass several trainers and bug Pokémon before I recognize that I've gotten off the trail. I look back and forth, but I can't find it. I'm lost! I try to retrace my steps back to where I came in, but I feel more and more turned around with each minute.

ZAP!

A bolt of lightning hits the ground in front of me, and I fall forward hitting my elbows on the ground. In a tree I see a yellow rodent staring intently at me. That creature might have just the Element Skill I need to beat Brock! I have to try.

I rush the animal, a Pikachu I think, and try to hit it with a Pokecrystal. The little guy keeps jumping from tree to tree like it's his job. I stop to collect my breath, and he gets away. I have never seen a wild Pokémon so fast!

ZAP! ZAP!

I turn to my right and see the Pikachu once more. I don't know what he's doing, but I'm going to catch him. Running at a sprint, Pikachu starts tree jumping once more until it has no more low branches to run to and stops looking around in a panic. I jump at the branch holding Pikachu and try to hit him with the crystal, but he uses his claws to run around the branch upside down and in every possible direction to evade me. Finally the Pikachu runs to the trunk and climbs straight up to a higher branch and stops.

"OK, if that's what you want!" I yell.

I jump on the tree and begin climbing form the bottom. I'll climb all the way to the top of this thing if I have to. It looks like it could be 5 stories high, but I don't care. I'm going to get this power and beat Brock today! But just as my confidence gets me up another rung of branches, I realize my mistake.

ZAAAAAAAP!

A current comes down the tree like a lightning rod and enters my body. At first all I notice is the bright light and a ringing sound in my ears. I feel a punch in my chest and knuckles before the vertigo comes over me. For a second I feel like I'm flying then I'm back on the ground looking up into the tree tops. My body feels sore, and I can't seem to breathe. I don't even see Pikachu anymore. Laying on the ground, I feel very heavy and tired. I feel myself nodding off and despite my best efforts, I know I'm falling asleep. I close my eyes and sit still for a few minutes before hearing something.

"Hey! Hey! Dude, you awake?"

Opening my eyes, I see a young man standing over me with a quizzical look on his face. It's dark, and I get a sense I may have been here for a while but not sure how long. I don't know who this guy is. He smiles at me like a friend, but I don't recognize him.

"Who are...you?" I say as I force myself to sit up. My body hurts basically everywhere.

"Oh yeah, my name is Yellow!" he says. "Big fan of yours. What you doing there? Taking a nap or something?"

"What? Yellow? I...no. There was a Pikachu and...Ah forget it. He got away."

"Oh! Well OK, then. Hey, if you want to catch a new ES, I can give you one of mine if you'd like. I saw the match with you and Brock on TV. I figured you wanted maybe a Water type ES or Grass one instead."

"What? I mean yes, but no thanks. I have to find one on my own," I say dusting off my pants and getting up to leave.

"A man of principle, I like it! Hey I bet you could use this though," he says and hands me a yellow bottle.

I take it and see on the bottle the words "Paralyze Heal." He nods for me to use it so I open it and drink the contents. The taste is a mix of minty and something I don't recognize, but almost immediately I can tell a difference. The soreness in my body vanishes and is replaced by a warm tingling.

"Whoa! Thanks! Yellow, right? Do I know you?"

"Oh, no, but I work sometimes for Professor Oak, and he tells me all about you and Blue. I'm stoked that you're doing the Monster Training Championship. Super cool. Hey, you know this probably but all of the Pokémon in this forest are basically Bug Pokémon. There are Pikachu, too, but Electric can't hurt Ground trainers which technically Brock is Rock/Ground."

"Great! The only thing on Route 1 is Rattata. Oh I guess, Pidgey, too."

"Oh well, did you know that you can go to Route 22? Its west of Viridian City. You could probably find something different over there. If you're lucky, you'll find something with a type advantage to Rock while you're at it!"

"Hey, thanks for the tip!"

"No probs! Oh," he says checking his cell phone. "I hate to run, but got to be somewhere like 5 minutes ago. Nice to finally meet you, Red! Bye!" he says. I watch as he jumps into the sky and flies off like a jet!

"Uh...bye?"

What in the world just happened!? That guy just flew in the air like a superhero! And he knew me somehow. Oak told him about me? What does he mean? I'm not really that big of a deal at training right now. If anything I totally dropped the ball on live television. Whatever!

I flip my cell phone's flashlight on and look around. When I see the trail on the ground in front of me, I clap with excitement. I run towards it and follow it without struggle back to Viridian City.

The city is dark, but some people are still walking around. I look to my right and see the sign for Route 22. I run to it and head down another trail laden with tall grass.

After training my eyes for a few minutes, I can finally see things moving in the dark. All I seem to find though is Rattata and Pidgey. I put my phone away and try to avoid them for the most part. I use Embers on the ones that get too close. I'm noticing that as I defeat wild Pokémon, if even with a quick strike, I feel slightly stronger. It's like I get boost from every run in. After a while though, I start to feel bored with this search. There simply isn't anything new here.

Swish!

I hear something rustle in the tall grass and see several Pidgey take flight. What is it? I run towards the rustling and see something purple. A male Nidoran stops in its tracks and stares at me. When it realizes I'm looking at, the little guy tries to Tackle me, and I have to jump out of the way.

The Nidoran's eyes flicker as he gives me a Leering look. I feel my nerves go shot for a second. This time the beast hits me in the legs, and I fall hard. I dig in my bag for a Pokecrystal and hold it tightly in my fist as I get to one knee. Nidoran and I rush towards each other, and once he is in range, I dive forward and hit the Nidoran with the crystal.

The crystal glows and turns purple like Nidoran just as it turns to run away. Nidoran stops once and looks me in the eye before disappearing into the tall grass for good.

I remove my hat and crack the crystal over my head. A new energy courses through my body and a foul taste comes into my mouth. I can tell that I'm transitioning to the new Element Skill. The Nidoran power feels weaker than my Charmander one. I don't feel as fast or strong now as I did just a moment ago.

Looking up from the tall grass, I notice a sign in the distance. I walk up to it and read "Route 23." Another sign behind says "To Victory Road." Victory Road? I try to take a step forward and trip over something and fall and scrape my right hand.

"Owww!"

I look at my foot and notice I missed a rock right in front of me. It's getting late and way too dark to explore a new area. I should check into the Focus in Viridian City and maybe get some dinner.

I march back to the Focus with my phone light turned back on and make it after several minutes. This day has been long and tiring. I've walked more today than probably ever in my life. I see the green sphere with the double helix and feel my face relax a little. When I get inside, I see that a different lady is running the front desk, probably a different shift working now. That is maybe for the best after Green freaked out earlier today. I'm expecting some lengthy process to happen at the counter, but when the lady sees my Skillfinder, she motions for me to follow her down a hallway.

I follow her and discover there are several trainers here all getting into what looks like a stackable laundry machine only the utility line doesn't just have two units but instead several dozens. "Pod 8" is where we stop. A lot of the pods glow red, and I can vaguely see a person behind the "washer door" reading or sleeping. My pod has a green light on inside and requires me to climb the ladder next to it to get in.

I turn around to ask the staff lady about my pod, but she has already started walking back to the front.

"I guess this is free?" I say to no one in particular.

"Yeah man. You must be new!"

I turn to see a middle aged man in a button up shirt to my right holding a newspaper and glass of something brown.

"You could say that! Ha. Just started today actually."

"Well no worries then. Name's George Velo."

"Red, nice to meet you."

"Red, huh? Well hey, just so you know, all of the Focus functions are documented by staff and then submitted to the government for reimbursement. Not everyone likes politics, but we've been fortunate enough that our country can provide some services to the public like this."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"It's all because of the Monster Champion. Sure people will disagree about this, but weird as Mahshmo Cohen may look on TV, he has done a lot of good for Kanto. He helped us to end the war and..."

"HEY! AREN'T YOU RED!?"

"DUDE, IT'S TOTALLY HIM!"

A few rowdy guys interrupt our conversation and start hollering to one another.

"MAN, YOU ATE IT EARLIER!"

"ARE YOU GOING TO GO HOME?"

"GOING TO RUN HOME TO MOMMY!"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I roll my eyes and wave good bye to Mr. Velo. I hear him say "sorry" and nod as I get on the ladder. I can't talk any more. I'm going to get in my little cave and crawl up and go to bed or die trying. Ugh!

As I climb into the tube and shot the door, the noise magically goes away. What a relief! In the pod is a cot, pillow, and blanket. I take my shoes, hat and outer garments off and check my phone.

There are some new messages from Mom I didn't answer earlier, but that's all. I turn the phone off and cover myself up in the warm blanket. A few minutes later, I fall right to sleep without even eating dinner.

6

I wake up early the next morning and feel kind of nauseas. My stomach growls and I know I just need to eat something. I put on my pants, shirt, and shoes and climb out of the pod. Few people seem to be up and about right now, either left or still asleep in their beds.

I make my way to the front of the Focus and notice a counter by the door I passed earlier. A man is handing out bowls with eggs and potatoes in them, and it smells wonderful. I walk up and get one and scarf it down. The chef just laughs and hands me another which I eat a little slower than the first. I thank him and head outside and no one asks me to sign anything or pay for anything.

Before I know it, I found myself back at the entrance to the Viridian Forest again only this time something or someone is in the way. A group of boys has formed around what looks like an injured man. He has blood on his face and leg. I wait for a second to see what's going on. Some kids are pointing and laughing at him while men pass by him trying to look the other way.

When I get closer to the scene, it's clear from his red face and the smell of booze that the man is drunk. I also think I know him from somewhere. Who is this guy? Oh, my gosh! It's Mr. Hayashi, Green's father!

"HA HA! What a loser!" They say.

I push through the crowd and ignore some scowls before squatting to the ground next to the poor man. He has a cut and blood on his leg and forehead.

"Excuse me sir. Aren't you Mr. Hayashi? Green's father."

He doesn't respond but stares blankly at the ground. The boys stop laughing and stare as I look through my bag. I have one Potion left. Ah man, OK. He needs it more than I do. I shake the can and spray it on his leg and rub it in my hands before massaging the sores on his forehead. The cuts seal up instantly and he looks me in the eye with a confused expression.

"Who are...you?"

"Hi, my name is Red. You got hurt. I just patched you up."

"Thanks...look I don't have any money..."

"Not asking for any sir. What happened to you?"

"I fell here…earlier. It's no big deal. Ask anyone...I'm no big deal. Just a bum."

"Not everyone! Your daughter thinks you are a hero. She became a trainer just to honor your service..."

"Kyomi!" he shouts using Green's birth name. "You know Kyomi? Is she safe? Is she OK?" I see panic come over his face.

"She's OK. I just saw her yesterday. She's a strong woman. She wants to be a Monster Trainer and be like you."

"Me? She doesn't want to be like me. I can't even live with myself. I can't do anything...just a loser."

"She told me you can't work anymore. I can't imagine how hard that must be. You may have lost some things in life. Lost your way even, but you don't have to be a loser! Don't listen to these guys. Your daughter needs you. Your family needs you. You fought alongside my Dad. Don't forget who you really are."

"You...your Satoshi's kid! You're a trainer now like he was."

"I wish. I blew it yesterday. I'm nothing like my Dad. I don't know if I can become a decent trainer without him here."

Mr. Hayashi smiles and stands up then pats me on the back.

"Satoshi…I mean Red, right? You keep going son. YOU remember who your Dad is. I can see him in you. You and he are one. You remember him and he will be with you always. Thanks for helping me kid. I better get on home to my wife. You watch my Green for me. You know I'm going to stop and get some coffee for this head ache. I need to quit drinking."

"Good luck! See you Mr. Hayashi!" I say as he walks off. I notice the others around me start to look confused and walk away one by one. They have nothing they can say to a man like Hayashi. No one is perfect or without sin.

As I turn to head into the forest, I chew on Hayashi's words. He can see my father in me? My father is with me? I feel water come to my eyes and a warmth in my heart. The tension in my spirit leaves, and I feel power to climb mountains. I feel like I could do anything right now. I need to change my attitude, too.

I look back and see a young boy run to Mr. Hayashi with a cup of coffee and offer it to him. The boy must have watched us talking and thought to bring it him. He gives me a nervous smile and I return his smile and give a thumbs up. I turn back to the woods and pass by the others with saying a word.

In the forest, I run into a mass of trainers, both bug catching boys and young girls. I recognize them from yesterday. They stand in a circle with their arms crossed and scowls on their faces.

"Hey, I apologize about yesterday. I was in a bad mood and rude to you guys."

Some of them start to whisper to each other and one of them walks towards me.

"Cool man, you're Red, right?"

"Yes, and I have to train or I'll never beat the first gym leader. If you'll accept me, I'll challenge you all this time."

"All of us? You think you're that good?" he asks.

"I know I'm not strong enough to beat Brock, and if I ever to want to get strong enough to help Kanto, I've got to do everything I can to toughen up."

"Let him try man! I want to see," says another. The others all start to nod and seem excited now.

"OK then!" the leader of the group says. "Let's fight!"

The trainers at first take turns tying to Tackle me, but despite my little experience, I'm just too strong or fast for them. I can feel the Nidoran ES in me growing stronger every time I Tackle back. Sometimes I use my Leer and a trainer will fall in their tracks. Other times I just Tackle them and they go down easy.

Once the first three or four fail to even harm me, the other eight or so try to strike me all at once. I visualize myself switching my abilities to Charmander in my mind and feel my body go numb for a second. Just as the group is about to crush me, I feel my strength return, and the heat form in mouth. I spew some Embers at my foes and knock them all down at once. In the course of a couple hours, I hear several cracks and know that I have won.

"You win!" says one of the girls. She holds out a bag of money and smiles as she bows. I bow and take the money. This is what being a trainer is supposed to look like.

"Thank you all!"

"Go beat Brock, Red!" The group cheers. "Keep training for us!"

"If you see any Trainers from here on out, FIGTH THEM AND WIN!"

"OK! OK!" I say.

I wave at them and move on. In the forest, I run into more bugs, this time more Weedle than before and try to alternate ES so I can get both of them stronger. I see a few more trainers and agree to battle them, winning just as before. A few more hours pass, and I feel stronger and have a nice collection of earnings. A traveling merchant walks by with a metal cart, and I buy some sandwiches off of him and sit down for a nice lunch. After a nice break, I keep walking through the forest.

Before I know it, I'm back in Pewter City and eyeing up the gym. I cut across town and hear some people talking.

"Look it's that 'Red' kid!"

"Here for more punishment?" they jeer.

I force a smile and wave as if they said something friendly then keep walking. I pass through the doors and stop to look around. A man walks up to me.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes, sir. I'd like to train here until I'm ready to beat Brock. I lost to him yesterday."

He nods and takes me to a mat in the back. A few boys join me.

"You want to beat Brock huh? Well if you can beat us you should be ready to face Brock. We all use Element Skills from Geodude." This is the Element Skill he used on me yesterday.

I nod, and we begin the matches. There are three boys, and each one is stronger than the last. With the first two, I use my Nidoran ES to get it stronger then switch back to my Charmander ES for the last fight. Just like Brock yesterday, they are hard to hurt, but I get stronger with each strike. By the end of the three battles, I feel like a new man!

"All right man! Take this!" says one of the boys who gives me a bottled water. I drink it down and feel completely refreshed.

"You stay here, and I will get Brock," he says and walks off. Next thing I know, Brock is coming my way.

"You're back! Glad to see you," he says, and the boys all take a step back as he walks up to the mat. "What do you say we rock' n 'roll!"

He steps onto the mat with me once more, and I feel my heart begin to race. I happen to look to my right and see a screen come up with my face and some numbers by it including a green line and two dots. How did I miss this last time? Brock's face appears next to me with a green line and two dots as well. Some people in the gym stop training and crowd around to watch.

I bring my attention back to Brock. Just as before, he crosses his arms and prepares to use Defense Curl. I smile and flash my eyes at him making the tactic fail. He tries two more times and when that doesn't work, squats and prepares to Tackle me.

I mimic him, and we dash towards one another. We both feel pain from the impact and get stuck in a grapple in the middle of the mat. The surface feels hard against my body but Brock doesn't seem to be bothered at all. I feel Brock gaining the upper hand and try to think of what to do. He looks me in the eye and I know. My Leer causes Brock to lose his grip. I knock him backward and off the mat. He gets back into the mat and runs at me once more, but this time I'm ready to counter with my own attack.

BAAAAAAAAAAAM!

Brock falls to his knees, and I hear a crack.

"WHOA! A critical attack!" yells a boy.

I lucked up I think, but I can tell that strike really did a number on Brock. He stretches open his mouth and grabs his head as if the crack hurt his ears. I see his hands clinch and his arms start to swell then all of his muscles grow a little as well. Brock is a bigger, more muscular guy than me. It's hard to imagine me beating him at anything related to sports, but I think the Skills he is using as well as strategy is key. If he had skills of any higher level, I would probably not beat him, but right now I just might be able to.

"Great job! That was my Geodude skill, but can you take on my Rock hard Onix power?"

Brock comes at me faster, and I'm not able to avoid the attack. This time he lunges at me and wraps his arms and legs around causing me to fall to the ground again. I try to squirm out of the Bind, but he is too strong.

"AAAAAHH!"

With each second it feels like the hold is getting tighter and tighter. I can't seem to defend myself at all. He is going to crush my bones! Using Leer I finally throw Brock off of me but soon after I feel a sharp pain.

Crack!

A dizziness comes over me as the Nidoran ES breaks, and I transition to Charmander. Both down to one Skill, I see a crazy look in Brock's eyes and will myself to act. This is it! Fight or fail!

Brock rushes me for another Tackle as I let out a barrage of Embers. He stumbles before making contact, but I don't let up. He lands some hits and I return attack for attack. Suddenly Brock yells and topples over. I hold in an Ember and lower my hands. I check the monitor from earlier and see that both dots have disappeared. The words "Winner" flash across the screen.

A small cheer rises from the crowd and some people even step up to me and give me a high five. I say my thanks and notice Brock has stumbled off to the recovery bed where I went yesterday. He climbs in and lays down. I watch the familiar healing process happen, and wait as he walks back to me looking 100%.

"That was great work, Red. I can tell that you worked hard to turn things back around. You didn't have the type advantage like your friends had yesterday. You have earned this through and through," he says as the man that brought me here earlier walks up holding out a Boulder Belt.

I take it gently from him and look it over in the light. The familiar emblem glistens in the light.

"I won't keep you long. Your friends were headed for Cerulean City, and I know you want to catch up with them. You'll need to pass the through the caves of Mount Moon to get there from here."

"Any tips?" I ask.

"Yes, check your ES levels."

I look at my Skillfinder and flip through the numbers until I see LVL. There are two numbers: 13 next to Nidoran and 15 next Charmander.

"Now I'm no Pokémon expert or anything, I'm at best a fan of Rock Pokémon that became a Gym Leader after getting bored with geology studies. I'd be fine to hike and collect minerals or fossils in Mount Moon. That being said, I think the two ES you have change evolutionary lines soon. You will benefit each time they evolve as the process boosts your stats for each one. Also, since your body and Element Skills are linked training your Skills will make your body stronger just as physical training will build up your overall stats. Don't neglect your self-care or Monster Training. Both are critical if you want to get better. The next gym will also have a type advantage over your Charmander, so train hard if you want to win."

"Another type advantage!?"

"Yeah, I was going to say that you could get a Geodude ES in Mt. Moon like me is you wanted, but the next Gym Leader uses Water Type so that's no good. It's tricky you know! You can only have 6 ES's in your body at a time and trying to switch them is a mess but don't hesitate to look for different ones. You don't want to train one skill too much without working other ones or you'll get unbalanced as a trainer. And don't try to get belts so fast that you don't train in between. Make sure to stop and explore Kanto. People that do Monster Training should appreciate a healthy lifestyle and not become too obsessed with winning matches or getting stronger all the time."

"OK!"

"What inspires you to train, Red?"

"My father taught me that everyone can do something to make a difference in the world. He was a carpenter and then a soldier in the war. He gave his life to save the people of Kanto. I may not be my Dad. To be honest, I don't even really know what I can do to help, I was just a fan of Monster Training growing up. I just have this feeling that I need to travel over Kanto and get stronger and maybe one day I can do something that will make my Dad proud."

"I'm sure he already is!" Brock says and pats me on the back. "Red when you head through Mt. Moon remember to…"

"HELP!"

"BROCK! HELP!"

A man in a lab coat bursts into the gym shouting and looking very startled. He makes his was across the gym and stops in front of us to bend over and gasp for air.

"Ned!? What's going on?"

"Brock…These men…Team Rocket…"

"Team Rocket!? What are they doing here?"

"Came in museum and stole fossils. They were in disguise…but they were acting strange and… I chased on into Mt. Moon. They stole fossils you just found!"

"HEY GUYS!" Brock says to the others in the gym. "You heard the man. We got Team Rocket in Pewter City. Pause your training and kick some real butt!"

"YEAH!" They cheer. I see Brock motion for a man to come over. Brock takes off his Skillfinder and replaces it with another one. His first one looked similar to mine, a sort of black watch, but this new on is a bright silver color. Did he just trade up to a stronger Skillfinder? I notice for a brief second his eyes roll and think he is going to pass out then he takes a deep breath. Brock motions for everyone to follow him outside.

Like prisoners in a shooting gallery, we step out in front of a small army of men in all black clothing. They form a barrier to the rest of the city. In the distance, I notice two members of Team Rocket running into a cave, Mount Moon.

"Red, you ready to put that speech into action?" Brock asks.

"Yeah, why?"

"Those guys that just ran into the cave there, I want you to pursue them. Be careful and stop them from getting away. I'm counting on you!"

"OK. I can do that!"

"RUSH THEM!" says a Rocket member and they run straight at us.

Brock and the gym members sprint towards the enemy. I dart to the left and Scratch a lone Rocket before passing through the crowd. Once I'm through the line, I don't look back, I just run for the entrance ahead of me.

"OK, Red! Here goes nothing!"


	5. Mount Moon and Bill's House

7

I hoof it after the Rocket member into Mount Moon and nearly run smack into a man.

"Whoa!"

"My apologies! Did you see a member of Team Rocket come through here?" I ask.

"Yes, he went that way!" says the man in a lab coat as he points to a corner on my left. I thank him and rush forward and round the corner.

I can barely see my guy in black at the end of a long tunnel. There are cracks in the top of the cave which allow natural sunlight to brighten my path, but it's still dark. I'd hate to be here at night!

The thief looks back and gives a startled look before turning around to keep running. I try to speed up and several Zubat fly in my face. The Screeching is hard to bare, but I swat at them with my claws to make them go away. There must be dozens in this tunnel and who knows how many in the cave itself. After what seems like an eternity, I make it to the end and turn once more.

This time I see different directions to take. No sign of the Rocket member. I decide to run straight down the path in the middle of two others. As I get closer to another bend, I come across a large man in a vest and hiking gear. I ask him about the Rocket member, and he simply points his wooden cane straight ahead of me. I give him a thumbs up and start running again.

When I get to the end of this path, I see nothing but a dead end and what looks like a hole in the floor. I step forward, and upon further inspection I discover a hole with a ladder leading to a level below.

It occurs to me that my Charmander ES level is higher than my Nidoran one so I decide now is the time to transition. I concentrate on Nidoran's power and feel my strength go down slightly. When I'm ready, I start running ahead only to trip over something. What is that?

"WHOA!" I yell as a rock with two mushrooms begins to move by itself!

I step back and realize this creature is a Paras, a large bug creature and not a rock at all. I give the animal a Leer and it quickly scurries away.

As the Paras leaves, some rocks fall from the wall and start rolling around. These aren't rocks either but Geodude, a rock animal with two arms and a face. They crawl on the ground like undead towards me, and I try not to panic. It occurs to me that I can do something new, an attack I haven't done before.

The thought "Do it!" flashes through my brain. I jump at the nearest Geodude and kick him with my other leg then spin and deliver a second kick with my left, a Doublekick. I hear a crack and watch as Geodude crawls away. Is this a Fighting move?

Fighting moves are super effective against Rock types, but I thought Nidoran was a Poison type. I should have used this move against Brock earlier. What was I doing?

Before I can give myself a proper hard time, the other Geodude try to attack me. I spring forward and perform my newest attack on them. Bouncing from Geodude to Geodude is a snap, and before long the group is all fleeing the scene. I feel my power rising and notice my hands are…glowing?

Suddenly my whole body feels warm and tingly. All of my skin is glowing, and I feel my muscles flexing and pumping. In my mind I see Nidoran glow then change into a Nidorino. I have experienced an evolution in my Element Skill!

I check my Skillfinder which reads LVL 16. Other stats have also risen significantly. But before I can throw a parade, my mind snaps back to the mission at hand. Find the Rocket member!

I dart forward and come across another ladder leading down. I take it and see a Rocket member harassing a man in a lab coat. He's wearing the same stupid outfit but a different guy then my target. How many of these Rocket guys are there?

"GIVE ME THE MOON STONES!"

"I don't have any! Please!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I belt.

The bully sees me, drops his victim, and proceeds to run off down a hill.

It's much darker down at this level so I lose sight of him almost instantly, but that won't stop me! I check to make sure the scientist is all right.

"I'm good, but you need to get out of here. Team Rocket are dangerous criminals! Mount Moon isn't safe."

"You let me worry about Team Rocket!" I say.

He nods at me nervously, and I turn to the chase. Up and down different hills and around a few bends I go. Sometimes a few Zubat or Paras cross my path, and I Leer to keep them at bay.

After a long time of running in what feels like an empty cave, I finally hear a commotion around the corner. As I get closer, light creeps towards me on the floor. I round the last bend and see several young trainers and some hikers standing together and arguing about something.

"YOU GO!"

"ME? I'M JUST A GIRL! YOU GO!"

"I'M TOO OLD! YOU GO!"

"HEY!" I call out.

The group stops and turns to look at me. Some have confused expressions while others seem more annoyed.

"I was chasing a guy from Team Rocket through here. Have you seen him?" I ask as I walk closer.

"What are you one of them?" asks the hiker.

"No, actually. Team Rocket stole some fossils from the Pewter City Museum, and I plan to get them back."

"How are you going to do that? Team Rocket is mean, and they don't follow any rules. They'll kill you!" says a frightened girl.

"But we have to do something!" says a bug catcher. "They stole my wallet and without that I can't afford any food for the week. My Mom is sick at home. Someone has to do something!"

They start to argue and yell once again. This time it gets even louder.

"HEY! Calm down! I'll get your wallet back."

The group quiets down. From the back steps forward a nerdy looking man with big frames glasses.

"You? How are you going to do that?"

"I just got my Boulder belt, and I know I can beat those punks."

I show them the belt from my bag and receive some smiles.

"Good point, but I want to test you," adds the man with glasses. "If you can beat me, I'll give you some items and have your back. If not I'll tell your Mom, to come get you. Ha!"

I don't say a word and nod. His smirk vanishes, and he runs towards me throwing pellets on the ground as his friends try to dive out of the way. It takes me a second to realize it, but he has dropped Poison Gas near me.  
I jump at him and use the Doublekick.

BAM! BAM! Crack!

He doubles back as an Element Skill breaks. He seems preoccupied with his thoughts so I take the moment to transition. I feel Charmander's heat in my chest, and just as the nerd tries to throw more Poison Gas I shoot Embers towards him.

Crack!

He falls down and beats his fist in the ground, obviously disappointed with himself. I the crowd smiles and raise their hands in excitement. I think the fight is over when I notice his eyes go yellow. The nerd opens his right hand and a ball of electricity appears in it!  
He slings the ball at me like a baseball, and I feel tremors course through me.

That Spark really hurt!

He forms another one, but I shoot an Ember at him making him lose his attack. I breathe a few more, and he finally stops for good. A final crack and I know I've won the match.

"WHOA! You beat Miguel!" says the hiker. The group claps for me.

"All right…I don't want to say it, but you beat me. Take this," he says and hands me a bag of Potions. I use one on myself and feel completely refreshed. Then I have a familiar tingling in my body and see my skin glow.

"WHOA!" everyone shouts.

My Charmander Element Skill changes to Charmeleon. I feel much stronger than before. Two evolutions back to back just like Brock said!

"What's your name man?" Miguel asks.

"My name is Red. Thanks for training with me Miguel. I promise I won't let you down. I'll make Team Rocket pay."

Miguel and I bow to one another then I take the ladder behind everyone which goes up to a higher level. As I surmount the top rung, I see a lone Rocket member leaning against a wall and chewing gum. He notices me and takes to running.

"WAIT! STOP!" I call out and chase after him. He jumps onto a ladder at the end of the room, and I follow right behind him. As I get near the top, I see him run towards a Blue of light. It's the exit!

I head outside into a path with tall grass but don't see anyone. Where did he go?

Whip!

My answer Wraps around my arm. The Rocket member comes into view from my right just as he catches my arm with his whip. I try to break free but I can't.

Whip!

Another member catches my left leg. I try to claw at the whips as three other black clad grunts come into view. One of them is the one I originally chased into Mt. Moon.

"Look at this kid! Tried to catch us like a chicken or something. What is he a wild dog?"

"You know what we do to wild dogs!" one of them says.

"Smoke him!" another answers.

I notice them all throw Poison Gas towards me. If I wait too long to act, they could take me out!

I chuck up some Embers at the guys holding the whips and feel the whips go slack. Once I'm free, they all take turns trying to Tackle me, but I counter with more Embers. I watch two of them go down.

One guy throws something at me, and I feel strength go out of me. It takes me a second then I recognize the item, a Leechseed! I feel my strength steadily leaving my body. The Rocket Grunt glows as energy flies through the air to him from me.

I pause to transition and take a few Tackles in the wait. Each remaining Grunt uses their whip to lash at me. I grit my teeth with each blow until the transition completes. Spinning out of the whips, I jump and go for a Doublekick. The move knocks out one guy, but the other two dodge me.

They both open their hands then close them and open them again to reveal tiny purple needles in the palms of their hands. The tips remind me of the needle that Weedle used to attack Green.

They fling the needles at me, and some of them hit me in the arm as I try to block. The Poisonstings burn as they make impact. I feel myself getting sick and remember the Antidote in my bag. I'll use it after the fight if I can last that long.

Wait a second!

I visualize the Poisonsting in my mind and close then open my hands. Both palms reveal deadly needles. Ha!

I notice the Rocket members frown and turn to run away. Before they can get far though I fling the spikes. They both topple to the ground, but one of them gets back up and disappears around a corner.

"Freeze!"

I hear a lot of shuffling of boots and dirt kicking up in the air then see several men in uniform approaching me. They have their hands on something at their waists, but I can't see what it is. I stand perfectly still though the Poison makes me feel woozy, and I sit down.

"He's been poisoned!" yells a cop.

"Kid, you got an Antidote on you?" he asks. I think I point at my bag though my eyes are closed so I'm not sure what I point at exactly. I hear him rustle through the bag and feel a cool prick touch my arm. The Antidote kicks in instantly, and I can feel warmth in my face and open my eyes once more. One police officer is squatting down in front of me, and the others are all walking around.

"One got away!" says a cop.

"What happened here, kid? Are you with Team Rocket?" asks another.

"It is OK…" says a voice from behind me."This is one of the good guys!"

I turn around and see Ned, the scientist that came to Brock earlier. He must have tried to run and catch up with me because he looks out of breath. I doubt he is used to this sort of thing.

"What happened here?" the cop in front asks.

"These guys tried to steal from people. They took some fossils from the museum and at least one of them stole a kid's wallet, maybe more," I respond.

The Rocket Grunts squirm on the ground while we talk. The cops search them and collect random things including a wallet and what must be a two fossils.  
"I'll take those back please. The Dome and Helix…phew. Thank you!" Ned says.

"Red I am so grateful for your help," he says turning to me. "Can I offer you something?"

"That's not necessary."

"I insist! Take this!" he says and gives me some money and a bag of white stones.

"Those are Moon Stones! Use them to evolve certain Element Skills or…give them to a friend. They are actually quite rare. Only found in Mount Moon so you might even be able to sell them for a pretty penny. Your choice."

"Thanks Ned!" I say.

"HEY!"

I look behind me to see the group from the cave catching up to us. They all come up to me and offer a high five. The hiker helps me get to my feet and gives me some money, too.

"Way to go, Red!"

"You're a real hero. You took Team Rocket all by yourself!"

"Awesome job!"

They all say something to me but soon I can't focus. I notice the boy talk to a cop about the wallet that was recovered and frown.

"This isn't it!" he cries.

"There was one that got away!" I add.

"We'll find the culprit and get it back!" says a cop. "If any of you finds the wallet or the thief, please contact the emergency line."

The cops promise to keep looking for the thief that robbed the boy and head out. After saying our good byes, we all part ways. I head down the path until I reach a small ledge at the end of the ground. There is a drop off that allows one to get to town but going forward would mean I wouldn't be able to make my way backward. Well here goes nothing I guess.

Plop!

And just like that, I'm on the ground facing the entrance to Cerulean City. A town not unlike the last two I visited, Cerulean City is home to roughly 27,000 people but one difference is there are many directions to go from here.

I have entered town by "Route 4" according to a sign. I think I missed the sign for Route 3 next to Mt. Moon's entrance but who cares? To the east of town is the Power Plant and the path to Lavender Town. South of here is Saffron City and the rest of Kanto. Once I get the belt here, that will be my next destination. I'm not sure what is to the north but from here I can see hills and a river that opens to a beach.

The sun is setting over Mt. Moon, and I am starting to feel hungry again. Time for dinner!

I slip into the Market and grab some snacks and a sandwich to eat at a table by the window. Here I can sit and eat in peace while looking at all the lights and passerby. Sitting still while I eat, I notice for the first time today how much pain I have in my feet. Do I need new shoes? I could probably buy some with all of my earnings, but where do you get shoes around here?

Before I can complete my thought, a familiar couple passes by my window. Green notices me and makes Blue stop as she waves at me. I wave back, and we all move to meet at the door.

"Red, where ya been, man?" Blue asks.

"Hey Blue! Green! I just got here from Pewter City. I got my Pewter Belt!" I say showing them the belt.

"Well it's about time, man! We just got Cascade Belts!" he says and Green holds up two blue belts with a water drop on each one from her backpack.

"Aw man! How are you guys so far ahead of me?"

"Ya snooze ya lose, Red. Hey did you happen to get any new Skills?"

"I did. I got a Nidoran male Skill. Oh! Both my Charmander and Nidoran Skill evolved. I feel so much stronger!" I say raising a fist to the sky.

"You only have two Skills."

"What do you mean?"

"We both have three now!"

"What!?"

"Yes, I helped him get one actually," Green adds as she pokes Blue in the arm.

"Ah why did you have to tell him that? It's not my fault that Abra like to just Teleport away. The only way to catch that Monster Skill is to Paralyze it or put it to sleep."

"I got an ES from a Clefairy in Mt. Moon that knows Sing," Green adds. "It's quite impressive that I know how to do that. Want me to put you to sleep?" she says leaning towards me.

"Uhhh, I am good. No thanks!" I reply.

"Are you sure it doesn't hurt at all. Oh I almost forgot! Our skills evolved, too! My Bulbasaur Skill is now an Ivysaur one and my Caterpie evolved into two different skills: first Metapod then Butterfree!"

"Whoa!"

"Isn't that cool? And Blue had his first two skills evolve as well: Squirtle to Wartortle and Pidgey to Pidgeotto, but that last one is giving him more trouble to train!"

"Oh shut up would you! The Butterfree Skill was a dumb choice ya know! Bug Pokémon are weak and have many weaknesses. You'll regret having that Skill before you know it," Blue barks.

Green bites her lip and stops talking.

"Stick in the mud…" she says with a sigh.

Why does Blue have to be so sensitive? He's taking it out on Green and probably doesn't even care.

"Well thanks for the updates. I wish I had gotten here sooner, but I had to head back for my other Skill past Viridian City and then ran into Team Rocket in Mt. Moon."

"Team Rocket? What's that? Green asks.

"They're some real bad guys. They rob and steal and won't hesitate to hurt anyone that gets in the way of what they want. You're telling me you ran into them?"

"Yes, they were trying to take fossils from the museum, and I caught a bunch of them but one got away…"

"Wait! Are you being serious? Stop joking around, Red!"

"I'm being serious, Blue!"

"Dude you didn't take on Team Rocket! Quit lying!"

"Oh never mind."

"Hey Red, I believe you! You're so brave," Green interrupts.

I give her a smile and say thanks just as she looks at her phone.

"Uh…I just got a text from my Mom. Red?"

"Yes?"

"Did you run into my Dad?"

"Huh? Oh yeah I…"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

Her voice is loud and heavy and her gaze intense. Blue and I blink and stare at each other with our mouths open. What happened? Is she mad at me?

"Why?" I finally ask.

"He…" she covers her mouth and her eyes start to water."He went home and threw away his liquor. He just checked into a rehab on Cinnabar Island. I…I don't believe it."

"Oh my gosh…that's great news!"

"OH MY GOD! What did you do? What did you say? He's going to get better! I can't believe it! I just can't believe it!" Green says bouncing up and down and gives me big hug.

She nearly knocks me to the ground and for a moment I feel shocked and kind of dizzy. But as she lets me go, I feel her hair brush against my face and see her eyes looking into mine. The sweet aroma of her perfume lingers on me just long enough to make me forget that Blue is even with us. A euphoria comes over me I can't explain and when she steps back, I find myself nearly falling forward.

"Wow! I like your perfume," I blurt out.

"Thanks!" Green says with a big smile. "Blue got it for me!"

I suddenly remember my Blue and notice him making a scowl as he stares intently at something in the distance.

"Yeah, I beat this group of punks on Route 24, and they gave me a Gold Nugget. It's worth some money so I traded it in and took her shopping. You know how girls are!" Blue says seeming quite annoyed.

"Cool."

"Oh hey Red, I hope you're not planning on seeing the Gym Leader any time soon. The one you need to see, the redhead…"

"Misty. Her name is Misty!" Green says.

"Right, she gave us belts and said she was skipping town. I think the other people at the Gym are either ranked too high or too low to give you your belt."

"Wait what? Ah geez!"

"Hey Red, it's been great and all, but we should probably be going. I wanted to get to Saffron City before it got too late. I heard there are two gyms there. Well one is more like a practice one," Blue says and starts walking off.

"Oh are we parting ways again?" Green asks looking frantically at Blue and me.

"I mean we don't have to? I could just come to Saffron City with you guys and come back later for this belt," I say but notice that Blue isn't listening at all.

"Well smell ya later, Red!" he says and waves a hand without looking back.

"Oh um…there he goes!" Green says to me. "Blue is kind of strange, isn't he?"

"More like full of it," I answer.

"No, I mean. What's that word? I forget! Anyway, I hope you catch up to us soon, Red. See you later!"

She waves and starts to walk off when I call her name.

"Green!"

"Yes?" she says turning back to look at me. She stands still with a curious look in her eyes. I should have something to say, but I blank for a second.

"What is it?"

"Um. Would you like my number? I mean so we can text and keep up with each other."

I see a grin come over her face.

"Just to let you guys know where I am or find out if you're close I mean."

She walks up to me and once more I can smell her wonderful perfume. I wasn't sure, but now I'm convinced it's something woodsy, like pine comb.

"Of course! That's very smart," she adds.

We exchange numbers and give each other one last hug. I watch in silence as Green runs off to catch up with Blue. I don't know what to say, but I feel very happy that she joined us on our journey. She looks back at me and gives a wink and laugh. What did that mean? I feel my face for food on my lips and dust my hair off thinking maybe she saw something on my face from my last meal and didn't want to tell me. She turns around and walks on and for just a moment I watch Blue and Green walk into the setting sun.

8

I'm walking around town when I head "Ha ha. You're cute!"

I see a redhead in a white dress holding hands with a young man in a tuxedo. They are far enough away now that I can barely see or hear them. The couple is clearly on a date, and I'm about to look away when the guy happens to look back.

We make eye contact, and I realize this is the Rocket member that got away earlier only now he's dressed differently. He seems to recognize me as well and suddenly pulls on the girl by the hand, dragging her north of town.

I don't have to think anymore. I take off after them and follow them out of town. The girl doesn't seem to notice. They round a bend just as I make it to a long, wooden bridge over a river. This must be where Blue got that nugget earlier. No one else seems to be out this way. I can see tall grass to my left that probably contains wild Pokémon but nothing of interest.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

I hear the wood of the bridge pounding under each step of my feet until I finally hit dirt again and turn a corner. Coming around a small hill, I see several little hills to pass through or simply jump down. If I had an overhead perspective, I could tell where to go but right now I'll just have to guess.

I run down a path and reach a dead end then try to make way back. I try a few more routes, but every time I go out I get turned around. Which way is it?

I decide to use a technique my father taught me once when we got turned around in Viridian Forest. I hug the left wall and follow it to a dead end. Turning around, I continue this process for several minutes. After multiple turns, I come to a clearing where I can see a building by a beach and the couple from earlier.

"HEY!" I call out.

The couple turn around and look at me. The thief jumps to his feet and raises a fist towards me.

"BEAT IT MAN!"

"GIVE ME BACK THAT WATCH!" I hound.

I see his face go pale and without another word take off towards a nearby house. The girl stands up but doesn't follow. She doesn't seem to know what's going on. She at least probably isn't part of Team Rocket.

Sprinting after my target, I ready some Poisonstings and launch them his way. He takes one in the leg and falls down. I run up to him and get within a few feet of him when he stops trying to get away and instead cradles his calf like and infant.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Someone hits in the head from behind repeatedly, and I fall down trying to cover my head after taking multiple blows to the noggin.

"What are you doing!?" yells the girl.

"Ah…my head!"

"Explain yourself!"

"OK! OK!" I plead hoping she won't hit me again. I look over at the guy who is trying to pulls the needles out of his leg but won't go through with it. Not really a tough guy at all.

"You stole that kid's wallet," I say looking at him. "You work for Team Rocket!"

"What's it to you, pal?" he groans.

"WHAT!?" the girl growls. She didn't know this. "UGH! This date is over! I'm calling the police," she says and whips out her cell phone from a dress pocket. The Rocket member and I sit in silence nursing our injuries as she turns on her phone and explains the situation to the cops.

"What? Yes, this is Misty from the Cerulean City Gym. The guy's name is Ken…wait…IS Ken YOUR REAL NAME!?" Misty barks at in our direction. Ken nods sheepishly.

"WHAT IS YOUR NAME!?" she turns to me next. I sit up now feeling the pain in my head lessen and look her in the eye. She seems disarmed by my gaze. I have nothing to be afraid of as I'm not the villain here.

"My name is Red. I'm a Monster Trainer."

She stares at me for a moment as if not sure to believe me than looks away ah she answers her phone.

"Yes I'm still here. The other one is Red. No, he's just a trainer."

We wait for a few minutes until a group of policemen arrive on the scene. They all have grey uniforms and serious faces on. One man comes with them in civilian clothes and a trench coat with a note pad in hand.

They all take their turns asking the three of us questions. I can tell that Misty is thoroughly embarrassed by the whole experience. We are separated when we talk so no one really hears what the other has to say. When the cops seem satisfied with their questioning they take Ken away. Misty stomps away without looking back. What a horrible date!

Just as everyone starts to walk away, the man in the coat stops me and asks to stay behind.

"Red huh?"

"Yes sir!"

"Your Dad was in the army right? Satoshi Himura."

"Yes."

"Well Red, I appreciate what you did here today. Please keep it up and if you see or hear anything more about Team Rocket, please give me a ring," he says as he gives me a card. "Good luck!"

I read the card and see a caption: "Looker: International Police" followed by a phone number. When I look up, he's already started walking away.

"HEY!" I yell. He looks back over his shoulder.

"How do you know who I am? How did you know my father is Satoshi Himura?"

"Because Red. You look just like him!"

"What!?"

I call out to him, but a fog comes up from the beach, and just like that, he's gone. I'm all by myself.

I sit in silence for a few moments on the beach and listen to the sound of waves lightly hitting the sand and sloshing back to sea.  
That man knew my father. Was he a soldier? What kind of name is Looker? Is he a good guy? Where did he go? I can see my father in my mind leaving our house in his Red unit uniform. He has on brown garb with this red jacket on over the top. I feel it with my fingers just like I did when he gave me a hug bye all those years ago. I didn't know it was the last time I'd see him. The last time I would be that close to him.

Thump! Thump!

I snap back to the present moment when I hear something like a hammer. Where is it coming from? There is no one here anymore. I'm alone in this beach except for the lone house to my right and adjacent buildings next to it.

Thump! Thump!

All of the lights are turned off, and it looks like no one is home. Walking back toward the house and town, I try to place the sound.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Looking next to the building, I notice a cellar door that goes beneath the house. Did they just move? I walk closer and see the doors shake a little.

"Hello?" I ask.

"Help!" says a voice behind the doors.

I drop down to my knees and transition my skills. With claws at the ready, I begin Scratching the doors and lock. After a couple minutes the lock breaks loose.

Chunk!

I pull open the doors and find a young man lying on the steps covered in ash and smoke. The man reaches out to me, and I take his hand. The basement looks as if some explosion just took place here.

"What happened? Are you OK?"

"There is a master plan…the designer. Don't try to change the design. The power was too great! Don't do it!"

"What? I don't understand. What plan?"

"We are formed within the plan…cannot alter it though we tried."

"I don't understand you. What's your name?"

"I'm sorry. You don't know yet. Not yet…I am William Masaki. Please call me Bill."

"My name's Red. What happened here?"

"Tried to…mess with time. Red tell Oak he was right! Don't mess with the plan. We have choices within the plan but not outside of it."

"You mean Professor Oak? What plan?"

"Red…please take this," he says and pulls two envelopes out of his shirt pocket and hands them to me. One has "Yumi" written on the front.

"Can you take this to her? Yumi…lives in Fuchsia City with his mother…my mother."

"Your mother?" I ask.

"Please! I'll give you a reward…in advance…the other one."

"Bill, you don't have to do that…"

"Take them. There's no time!" he says, and I can see in the other envelope a sort of ticket.

"It was for him…me and sissy…I'm sorry!" he groans and lays his head down. I try to nudge him, but he doesn't respond. As I lean forward to flip him over, he vanishes. The man simply is nowhere to be seen, as if he were never there at all.

"Bill? Bill!"

I look all over the place, but Bill is gone! I walk through the basement and find nothing but tools and pieces of machinery thrown about. A fire went out down here and left black marks on the floor and walls as well one big spot in the middle of the ceiling. The stairs at the end of the basement are missing some steps, but I climb my way up into the lab above.

Like the basement, much of this room has equipment that appears to have blown up. How long ago did this happen?

I make my way through the lab into the kitchen noticing a locked door left wide open on the way. In the kitchen I see some dishes on the floor that appear to have fallen after the explosion. Checking the fridge, I notice it's modestly full with fresh meats and vegetables. Closing it back, I turn around to see the den encased by a glass wall viewing the beach.

This place must have been amazing before the explosion! I take a step forward into the living room and find a picture on the floor with a Bill, a similar looking girl, and an older lady.

I find a different combinations of these people and deduce that the lady is Bill's mother and the girl is his sister Yumi.

"Ahem!"

I stop in my tracks and turn to my side seeing the young man. I thought I was alone! He squints his eyes at me.

"Excuse me but just what are you doing in my house exactly?"

"Uh…Bill?"

"That's my name, but who are you?"

"What!? I was just talking to you in the basement. Where did you go?"

"Basement? What is this, some kind of joke!?"

"What? No! Bill it's me, Red."

"I've never met you before in my life! If you'll please excuse me, I'm a scientist and one of my projects just exploded. I will need to replace some things and don't want any interference. Good day!" he says motioning for me to go out the front door.

"But…your letter!"

"I believe you were leaving!" he says walking me to the front door.

"Shouldn't we call the police?" I ask.

"NO! I mean they just came here the yesterday and earlier today! Can't a man work in peace?" he bellows as he pushes me out the door. I feel it slam behind me.

"Good bye?" I say to myself. Weird. I look at the envelope with the message. It's a sealed letter and part of me wants to read it, but I stop myself. I plan on visiting Fuchsia City anyway.

Checking the other envelope, I find a ticket that says "Two for one: Board the S.S. Anne." I read the caption on the back, and it's clear this ticket will get me and one other person for a week long cruise that ports in Vermillion City. Should I use it though?

Bill 1 gave it to me, but Bill 2 kicked me out of his house. Do clones exist? What about what Bill 1 said about messing with time? Did one Bill revel through time and come back nicer than the other? You can't clone people or travel in time so what DID happen at Bill's house? Did I even talk to Bill?

Bzzt! Bzzt!

I check my phone and see a text from Blue showing "😛."

I respond, "😛Hey, do you know anything about S.S. Anne? Someone tried to give me a ticket for two to ride it for a week long cruise."

"Me, too. Gramps got me one. You can be lazy and eat food or train like me. You're coming, too? Cool!"

"Yeah!" I say before I stop myself, but before I can give the long story he starts texting again.

"Green wants to know if she can come."

"Yes, that would be great! So your ticket is just like mine?"

"Yeah, just said that idiot!"

"Yo chill."

"Green is very excited!" he texts and at that moment, I get another text from her with a smiley face. This is awesome! I send her a smiler back.

I tell them I'll talk to them more about the trip tomorrow. It's getting late, and I'm exhausted. I have to get back to Cerulean City and shower and sleep at the Focus. Blue and Green say good night, and I walk back without incident to Cerulean City. The sound of waves in the distance sooth me, and it's hard to keep my eyes open.

I get into the Focus feeling completely drained. I get a towel and bottle of "cleaner" from the front desk then make my way to the locker room. The shower is small with a shower head and rack for hygiene products covered by a dark curtain.

The warm water feels great on my sore body, and after I get out the shower I see a machine for washing my clothes. I put them in the machine and in a few minutes they pop out and a green light comes on. Next to the machine is a dryer. I plop them in and again they are finished in only a few minutes and come out with satisfying Ping! I put start to put them on but notice some clothes stacked against the wall.

The Focus has provided long johns for sleeping. How did I miss this last time? Maybe Viridian City is too small to pack all of this into their Focus?

I take the clothes that look like my size and put them on. A little loose around the waist but just right on the length of sleeves and pants. There are several people walking around, but I don't pay them any attention and crawl into the pod assigned to me. I close my eyes and fall right to sleep.

The next morning, I change into my regular clothes and dump my sleepwear into a bin by the door and walk back out front. I grab the breakfast up front and munch it down while checking my phone for messages. Nothing.

The idea comes to me that if Blue has a ticket like mine, Green can go with him. That means I can take a guest, too.

Staring at the phone for several minutes, I hover over the name "Daisy." Finally I click the name and text her.

"You what?"

"Yes, I got this ticket for two. Would you like to come with us?"

"Yes! Of course. Wow thanks for thinking of me! 😀"

"No problem! 😀"

Well that went well! I haven't texted Daisy much before other than to basically ask if Blue was free. Could this be really happening?

I put my phone away and walk out of the Focus reflecting on my journey so far. I beat some Team Rocket thugs into shape yesterday and also got my first belt. I got this cool ticket for a cruise and now the most beautiful girl I know is coming with me. I'll get my next belt in a few minutes and then be on my way.

I walk across town to the gym and smile once I see the lights on and people going in and out. I walk in the front door to find a large pool taking up most of the gym and a catwalk snaking its way across the room overhead. It looks to be only a few feet above the pool. There are many places where one might get off of the catwalk to get in the pool and…battle?

I see some boys struggling to chase down some girls in the pool and others laughing. Some kids are dressed in swimsuits while others have on normal looking clothes like me. I walk back and hear a familiar voice.

"You!"

I look to my right and then down into the water to see Misty floating in the water. A scowl on her face.

"Hi…"

"Don't 'hi' me! What do you want?"

"Uh…I…my name is…"

"Oh I know your name, Red. You're here for the Cascade Belt right?"

"Yes."

"Well I'm not going to hand one out you know. You'll have to get in here and fight me for it."

"In there?" I ask, but instead of answering me, she dives below the water.

And with that I take off my shoes, hat, and jacket off and sat them down with my bag by the edge of the pool.

"Fine! Here I come!"


	6. Cerulean City

9

I'd like to say I won the fight and promptly left for Saffron City, but that would be a lie. Misty did laps around me in the match. I was in a recovery bed in a matter of seconds.

When I open my eyes, I'm greeted by her pretty but stern face.

"Ahhhh!"

"Are you awake yet? What was that!?"

"Hello to you, too!"

Misty rolls her eyes and stands up to walk away.

"Hey!" I yell as I get to my feet. She stops in place, and people stop swimming and stare at us. Misty gives a sweeping motion with her hands, and everyone turns around and goes back to whatever they were doing. Nice!

"Look…I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to ruin your…"

"Not here," she whispers. "Follow me."

So I follow Misty through the gym and enter an office at the end of the room. When she shuts the door behind us, I hear the click of the handle shutting and the noise of the gym fades away.

"Forgive my secrecy, but this Gym is government operated. Everything out there is recorded and subject to being in the media. I know you thought you were doing the right thing last night…I mean you did the right thing last night, but I just don't like people knowing my personal business."

"Oh!"

"Yeah, I've tried to keep the fact that I'm single and dating on the down low. You wouldn't believe the amount of people that come here offering to marry me or ask me about relationships they heard about that are purely fiction. People thinking I have ties to Team Rocket or pick "bad boys" or something is another head ache I don't need. My last boyfriend…let's just say he was a good guy but was always traveling and never settled down. He was always around all sorts of strangers and going on adventures. Fun at first, but eventually you grow up. You mature past the wonderful age of ten, and well…the world knows that we didn't work out. It was hard to deal with the break up, but reliving it every day was even worse."

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know."

"It's OK. By the way, thank you for catching that guy. I can only imagine what that guy was up really up to! Those Team Rocket guys are bad news. All of the Gym Leaders have reported seeing them. I think they have some evil plan in motion."

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know yet, BUT one thing I do know is that you can't beat me!" she says with a mean smile.

"Ha ha…nope."

"If you can't beat get a second level belt, don't worry about Team Rocket."

"I got it. Any tips?"

"OK first off. Are those regular clothes?" she says poking my shirt with her finger. My clothes are still damp from the pool.

"What so you mean?"

"Yep! You know I looked at this jacket," she says scooping up my Dad's red and white jacket. Did she bring that in here? How did I miss that?

"This thing is not just cotton you know. It's made of a special fiber called Evertone."

"Evertone?"

"Yes, the material will adjust to the environment and last much longer than normal clothes. They are typically heavier than regular clothes, but for example, if you jump in a pool, the material won't soak up with water. This isn't just a normal bathing suit you know," she says motioning to her white one piece.

I suddenly realize that her suit is completely dry even though her hair still looks a little damp. The outfit complements her petite frame well and has reflective gold lines in the curves that give a cool shimmer when she moves. Other than aesthetics though, I can't tell that the material is any different from a normal suit.

"You may have noticed Brock's clothing, the Gym Leader in Pewter City."

"Oh! The rock vest!"

"Yes! That is a custom made vest with Evertone and Onix ES in the very sewing. That vest makes him more resistant to normal strikes even if he's passed out or asleep. My suit allows me to maintain the speed and stamina of an actual Starmie while under water. I don't have fins or gills obviously, but I can do more with this suit on than with normal clothes."

"Cool! Does my jacket have any special things in it?"

"I don't think so, at least not a specific type of Element Skill. The tag on the inside doesn't mention it. Regular Evertone will mimic traits of whatever ES you are using as well as the surfaces you come in contact with. Your friends were here. They had Evertone swimsuits. Did you simply not know?"

In my head, I can vaguely remember Blue making a fuss about getting certain clothes that cost more money. His t-shirt and blue jeans seemed nice to me, but I never thought about clothes that help you fight. And Green? She just wears a skirt and top. When did they get these fancy swimsuits?

"No…" I say shaking my head.

"That's OK. Go out and get some Evertone clothes at Costumes and please, while you're at it, get an Element Skill that isn't weak to Water."

"The Nidorino Skill is Poison," I interject.

"Yes, and Poison is weak to my Starmie Skill which if you didn't know is part Psychic. Psychic beats Poison. If not for that, you would have had a better chance of beating me."

"Ah, no kidding. Was that move you used Confusion?"

"Yep. Psychic! Tell you what. I saw the confidence you had facing that loser last night. If you apply that to making some changes, I know you can get the Cascade Belt."

I thank Misty for her advice and head back out front. I check my electronic map, and see many dots appear over an orange canvas. I air type in the name Costumes and one of the dots suddenly becomes a wardrobe. When I point at it, it opens and clothes spill out. Cool animation!

I text Blue and Green about my setback and ask about the Evertone clothing they have.

"Oh, you didn't have any? Did no one ever talk to you about that?" Blue asks.

"Did you think we just wore normal clothes? Well surprise! My regular outfit is Evertone, but I actually got a swimsuit just for the pool. I found a nice green one!" Green adds.

She sends me picture of her and Blue in swimsuits. Blue has on a navy blue suit with a white star on the front and back that stretches from his shoulder and chest down to his knees. He poses like a bodybuilder showing off his lean physique next to Green who has one arm around him and with her opposite hand is making the peace sign. Her dark green suit has little gold and purple stars shimmering on it. Green's suit hugs her body just the right way and actually opens for both her arms and legs.

"Whoa…you look beautiful!" I type and send before it registers what I've done.

She sends me a smiley face back.

"I mean you both look great. I'm jealous." I quickly add. I don't want to mess with Green and Blue if they actually work out, but it will seem like that exactly what I'm doing if Blue thinks I'm flirting with Green. Ugh, so stupid!

"Ah, thanks Red!" Green responds. No awkward response at all.

"And no, I didn't know," I insist. "I just found out that my Dad's jacket is made of that stuff, but I need to get some new clothes and another Element Skill and probably level up a bit if I want to beat Misty."

"Well I don't know about the training part or what ES you need, but as for the Evertone, you are in luck! My family wants to wire you some money for your trip. You can use it for your Evertone."

"What!? That's nice of them, but they don't have to do that!"

"No buts. Check your Skillfinder. They can wire money to you electronically. Mom says she just sent it!"

I do check and sure enough a couple hundred bucks have appeared in my back account. Sweet!

"Oh…hold on there's something going on."

"Wait what's the matter?"

"I don't know. The police are directing people to leave the streets. They want us to leave town or go inside somewhere."

"Weird!"

"Hey, I'll get back to you, Red. Talk to you later!"

I hope everything is OK. We text each other good bye just as I arrive at Costumes. The store is shaped like a baseball cap with a large bill sticking out of the back of the building in the ground. Sky windows sit where eyelets typically are. The automatic sliding doors are painted to look a strap when closed and a gap when opened. Neat!

I go inside and see several people milling around the racks for different clothes. The store is roughly two-thirds women's clothing and the remaining being men's. They have a little bit of everything out. Despite it being the fall, there are both winter coats on the walls from the floor to the ceiling and aisles in the middle of the store loaded with swim gear.

A lady walks up to me wearing all black clothes and smelling strongly of lavender.

"Welcome to Costumes! Have you been here before?"

"No ma'am. I was hoping to ask you about Evertone clothing."

"Oh yes! Is this your first time purchasing Evertone?"

Yes, ma'am."

"Well please follow me, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you have while showing you some of our fine products," she says waking me to the right side of the store.

"We sell a few brands of Evertone clothing including Kiwi, Master-sword, and Big's. Kiwi has the lowest level of Evertone, and typically it's used for beginning trainers. Master-sword has the Gold Standard line of Evertone products and is recognized by the Monster Training Championship. Lastly Big's is our premium line of Evertone clothing. Developed by inventor Bill Masaki, this clothing has the greatest level of resistance and Element Skill enhancement of the three. Designed for the Elite 4, it's become very popular with experienced trainers."

"Developed by Bill, you mean the guy that lives north of Cerulean City?"

"That would be his grandson, Bill Masaki III actually. The original designer passed away just last year."

It feels weird remembering my encounter with Bill. Seeing his products in this store right now is almost spooky. Maybe it's just a sign that I should get some Big's. They are the best it seems.

"Do you have anything in Big's that will be good for swimming? I want to face Misty at the local gym."

"Oh…well we have some options here," she says walking me over to the swimsuits. "All of the Big's line has a purple dot on the tag. They do run a little more than the other clothes, but you won't regret the purchase. Big's has a no questions asked trade in policy and lifetime guarantee should the clothing every get damaged but to be honest, the material is so strong that you probably won't ever need to replace it!"

"Cool!" I say eyeing the different suits. One in particular is black with red lines covering bends on the fabric kind of like Misty's only opposite. The suit seems defined, distinguished even. I pick it up and show the lady. She walks me to a changing room and after trying it on, it fits! The price is 312$ so I'll have to use all of the money the Hayashi family gave me and most of mine to buy this thing. Please be worth it!

I check out and start walking back to the bridge I crossed last night. Maybe I can train there in the tall grass and find a Grass Pokémon so I can beat Misty.

I shoot Green a text to ask if they're OK. No response. Hopefully they are just busy.

After several minutes, I'm back to the corner of town facing the bridge only this time, it's in the day. Just as I am about to cross it, a man walks up to me.

"Excuse me young man. Are you by chance a trainer?"

"I am. Why?"

"I'm a fisherman. I catch fish and sell them and their Element Skills. I just happen to have one left. Are you interested?"

"Which Skill is it?"

"It's from a Magikarp."

"Magikarp?" I don't know fish Pokémon that well. He shows me picture of fat gold fish with a blank stare. Not exactly a superstar.

"Yes, it's actually quite a weak one so I'm only selling it for 50$. If you do go through the effort of training it; however, the Gyrados Skill is quite formidable."

"Gyrados?"

"The evolved form of Magikarp is Gyrados," he says showing me a picture of something that looks like a sea monster. The two look nothing a like!

"OK, I'm curious. What type is Magikarp? Water?"

"Correct. With some blood and sweat, you could train with this thing and give Misty a run for her money. I bet that's why you're in town right?"

"Right!"

"Well it can be done, but it will probably take a couple of weeks before you could do that for your average trainer."

"A couple of weeks!?" I groan. That is a long time. I check my ticket to S.S. Anne and read the back. I have about four days before the cruise. That's less time than I remembered when I got the thing in the first place!  
But I feel like I remember someone talking to me about Gyrados. Isn't he really tough? Maybe it's worth it.

"Tell you what, I'll give you a hint," the fisherman add. "Any time you have a weaker Skill and want to get it caught up, you can go into battle with it then transition and use a stronger one for the rest of the fight. The ES from the beginning of the match and end will both get stronger."

"Won't I be vulnerable during the transition?"

"Yes, but if you're tough, and you have the right items, you can do anything!"

I need to do something now instead of wandering around aimlessly. I could spend all day just trying to find another Pokémon or I could just use this one.

"I'll do it!"

I eagerly run to the nearest store and change into my suit in the bathroom. I take the Magikarp crystal and crack it over my head. The suit feels wonderful, like a thick glove over my skin, but the ES does something weird to my body. I feel weak and slow, and I can't remember any of the moves I knew from either ES I already had. Both of them had Tackle in common, but I can't visualize even this basic move in my head.

I step outside of the store and try to think of a single attack. Anything would be good. I concentrate and after several minutes all I end up doing is hopping in place.

Hop! Hop! Hop!

What? This is all I know? Like a fish out of water! It's no wonder no one bought this stupid thing. I feel like an idiot. Whatever! I'm going to find some tall grass and try the strategy the fisherman mentioned. At least that part made sense.

I return to Route 24, on the way to Bill's house, and see an Ekans, a purple snake Pokémon. It lunges forward and wraps me in a Bind. All I can do is Hop! The snake seems more annoyed than hurt by this stupid move. I transition and quickly use Embers to burn the Ekans off of me. It slinks away in the grass, and everything is still once more.

Checking my Skillfinder, I see that my Magikarp Skill went from level 5 to…It is still 5! What?! This could be longest, most boring task of my life!

I transition back and begin pursuing wild Pokémon for training. Sometimes I see an Abra, a cat like creature that can vanish before your eyes, one that interested Blue for some reason. It's cool to watch but pointless for training. The next several Pokémon I see are either more Ekans or Bellsprout, a moving flower like creature that swings sharp vines at you when threatened. The Vine Whip can hurt me a lot more when I'm using the Magikarp ES, but it doesn't bother my new swimsuit or my other Element Skills at all.

I train for hours and stop for a lunch break and check my phone. A few messages have come in from Green.

"We're stuck in this weird warehouse."

"They're saying it's Team Rocket!"

"You there?"

I push my plate aside and call her right away.

"Hey!" she says with panic in her voice.

"Hey! Sorry I missed your messages. Are you OK?"

"Yeah, we've just been stuck in this building in Saffron City for the last few hours. Apparently Team Rocket made a threat that they would blow up the roads, and the bomb squad got called in. They are literally searching every inch of street in town."

"Whoa!"

"But it's totally a prank. No bomb here, there, or anywhere. It's going to slow down business and cause all sorts of problems if people are scared to go outside. That's almost worse than if something did happen."

"No kidding! Well I'm glad you woo are safe. I wish I was there."

"Ha! Believe me you DO not! I wish I was there with you," she says. Not Blue and her, just her with me I think.

"Well I'm no fun right now anyway. I have to train super hard if I want to beat Misty and get to Vermillion City for the cruise. Let's just say it's not going as easy I hoped."

"Yeah? Well don't give up. I can't wait to see this cruise myself. I've never been on a boat before let alone the S.S. Anne. How exciting! Thanks for inviting me."

"Sure…" I say. What does she mean? Did Blue not want her to come with for some reason? Maybe those two are not an item after all.

"What does Blue think about…"

"Hey Red, hold on…OK, they're trying to make an announcement or something. Gotta go! Bye! Talk to you soon!"

"Bye!" I say as the call ends. What is going on over there? It's time to get back to work. I pack up my bag and get back in the tall grass once more.

I walk around and battle anything that in front of me for what seems like an eternity. After a while some other trainers walk by. I run up to them and offer to fight. They agree and off we go!

Most of the trainers use skills from Pokémon I've seen before like Pidgey or Rattata. I don't recognize all of them however including a few thing use Fighting moves like Low Kick where a trainer tries to sweep my legs out from under me. Unlike my battles with the wild Pokémon, the trainers are a little tougher, and I have use Potions after so many rounds in a row. The good thing with these matches though is that some people make small talk after the fight and offer me rewards for winning. While fighting them, I actually gain more experience, too.

10

When the sun starts to settle, I feel totally beat. Checking my Skillfinder, I see that LVL of Magikarp went all the way up to 12 and the other two are at 19. Not too bad, but still no Gyrados. I'll have to try again tomorrow. I need a change of pace.

Pulling out my phone, I notice no calls or texts from Blue or Green. I'm worried about them. I want to at least see if I can tell what's going on over there so I cross Cerulean City as everything starts to get dark. At the south end of town are a long road and a few buildings outside of Saffron City. The neighboring city is modern on the inside but has an ancient wall surrounding its perimeter. From each side is a gatehouse where people can enter or leave the town towards neighboring cities.

When I get to the gatehouse, I see several people crowded outside with concerned looks.

"Please folks, step back! Step back, please!" says a guard.

I make my way through the crowd trying to get a closer look, and hear a commotion coming from inside the walls. People are shouting and running. I hear whistles and dogs barking, too.

I stop and text Blue and Green in a group text. Waiting outside for several minutes, I hear nothing but dogs barking. No response from my friends. I suddenly realize that the crowd outside the wall has been quiet since I got here. I look around, and everyone is staring at me including a young boy with a hand raised. When he realizes I'm looking at him, he points behind me. I look over my shoulder to see a big balloon like Pokémon. I say balloon because it's round and hovering in the air but the little thing has an angry face and a foul smoke is coming out if it's pores. I turn to face it, and the animal's body glows like a spot light in the dark.

BOOOOOOM!

I get thrown back several feet by the explosion and land on my side. At first I can't hear anything, and my chest feels like someone is standing on it. I take a few deep breaths, slow in and slower out, like my Dad taught me, and my notice my heart has been beating very fast. Suddenly my hearing comes back with a bonus ringing sound. There is smoke and fire everywhere. Some people look severely injured while those that aren't on the ground are running away.

I look at my hands and see dirt and some bloody scrapes. A man runs up to me, and when he sees that I'm OK, he runs on to the next person. An older lady to my right is lying face down, and some people are standing around her crying. Is she dead? A couple to my left hold their hands down on a man's head. Blood is all over him.

My clothes are completely intact, but the people closest to me have parts of clothing seated away revealing bruises and blackened skin.

Standing to my feet, I call out to my friends, "BLUE! GREEN!" hoping they can hear me over the wall somehow.

But as I listen in I hear nothing but more explosions and screaming. Looking towards the gatehouse which has lost most of its windows by now, several guards have appeared and are pointing people away from Saffron City. I try to get close, but a man literally pushes me back so that I fall on my rear end. Ow!

"It's too dangerous! Please seek shelter. Let the police handle this! Anyone trying to enter town now will just get hurt. Back! Back please!"

As he says this, medical staff arrives on the scene in white and blue outfits and start directing us all back to Cerulean City. Anyone that isn't receiving medical care or giving it is simply in the way.

I think about the guard's words. Just get hurt? Seek shelter, you'll just get hurt. Is that all I can do? I drop to my knees and visualize my father. In my mind, he is the strongest man I know, tough and tender.

"Dad," I say in my mind, "what should I do? My friends, Saffron City is in danger! What would you do right now?"

I close my eyes and listen for his voice of reason amidst my current chaos. A still voice like a whisper comes to me saying these simple words, "Satoshi, do not be afraid."

Jumping to my feet, I look around. It's as if he were there with me in person! I clench my fists and reflect on those words. When you are afraid, you seek shelter. When you face fear, you leave it. What does he want me to do? If the authorities think I'll only get hurt now, they're not entirely right. I felt a drive to get this Evertone and because of that, a Pokémon Self Destructed in front of me, and I walked away. I don't need to hide or sleep right now, I need to train. I need to get stronger!

"I'll be back when I can actually help," I say to the guard. He nods his head as I turn back towards town. There is tall grass on the way, and I stop to train here for several hours. I fight anything that moves using my transition technique to strengthen my weak Magikarp skill as well as the other two. I get used to running into Mankey here, a monkey Pokémon with a big nose that is very fond of kicking and Scratching.

When I feel like I can't move anymore, I realize I know how to do Tackle with Magikarp Skill in use. I read the Skillfinder which lights up "LVL 15." I decide that now is the time to really train my ES, but I can't go on. I'm so tired I lie down on the ground near the tall grass and rest my head on my backpack.

I blink and open my eyes to sunlight! I meant to close my eyes for a second and fell asleep outside. I've been here all night!

"Hey! Are you all right young man?" says a female police officer. I sit up and dust off my pants.

"Yes, ma'am…I didn't mean to sleep here. I was training last night and just over did it."

"Well that's OK dear! I wanted to make sure you weren't injured or sick after what happened last night. Do you need something to eat?" she asks whipping out a bag of something that smells really good. "Winger's donated several Spearow Biscuits to the force, and I can't eat all of these. You look like a growing boy. Will you take them for me?"

"Oh yes, thank you!" I say. I try not to swallow them whole and force myself to eat slower. "Fast food is tasty but makes you kind of stupid if you let it," my Mom always said. The cop takes my trash and walks with me back to town. I want to ask about the event from last night, but she keeps talking about random things.

"A time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…We can't help what time it is when it is that time. It seems now we are in a time of mourning. We can either face it or deny it...hold on!" she says as a voice comes in on her portable radio.

"Parker, you there? Parker, pick up."

"Officer Parker here!"

"Parker, report is a burglar has attacked some homes in Cerulean City. Witnesses say perp is short, 5'6" and maybe buck 50. Possible aid to Team a Rocket though we're not for sure."

"I'll look into it, Parker out!" she says to the radio.

Do they not say "over" like on TV? She looks to me and says, "Have a good day young man! I'm sorry, but I have to run!" And with that, she takes off into town. I have work to do as well.

I arrive at the gym just as Misty is opening the front door. She turns and looks at me surprised. Unlike yesterday, she isn't in her swimsuit, but has on blue sweats instead. She wasn't expecting anyone to be here.

"Red!? Back already?"

"Yes! Misty, I have to get to Saffron City. My friends are there. I have to know they're OK!"

"Saffron City isn't safe now…wait. Why are you so dirty?"

"I was training…and the explosion…and I went back to training…"

"Oh my gosh! Are you telling me you spent the whole night outside?"

I nod.

"You were at the wall? Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," I insist as she looks me over. "Misty, this Pokémon blew itself up right in front of me! If I hadn't got Evertone yesterday…those people were hurt so bad!" I spit out everything like an auctioneer. I'm struggling to catch my breath. Misty puts an arm around me and hugs me.

"Hey champ, slow down! It's awful what happened last night! I was in Pewter City last night and got stuck helping with a rock slide by Mount Moon. People trying to leave my city were attacked, and there was nothing I could about it. Neither you nor me…The gym is actually supposed to be closed today, you know, I'm just here to get some taxes done, but why don't you come in?"

"Oh…" No wonder she's wearing sweats, the gym is closed. "Are you sure? I didn't mean to…"

"Come on in before I change my mind," she says and gives me a wink. I listen and follow her in.

She flips a switch, and overhead lights come on. She points to the pool and commands me to "Get in!" I listen and lay my things down before jumping in.

"OK, I know you have experience doing Monster Training, and most people that travel at least can walk fairly well. Some can even run or hike well, but you know what a lot of beginners don't know how to do?"

"Swim?"

"Exactly! I want you to get experience swimming here in this still water pool. With the right training and equipment, you'll be able to fight me, but you can also catch skills from fish Pokémon or swim for long distances to get to places you can't normally reach. Don't try to swim out in moving water or you'll be swept away. Swimming in big bodies of water can be hard if you go out too far or get hit by an undercurrent because you can't make it back to dry ground. You can do those things in time, but for now you're going to swim here in this pool."

"What about…"

"Yesterday you barely lasted a minute in the pool with me so you won't be any good to your friends if you want to beat me today! And the first things to do is build up your body through swimming," she says. Ouch! That stung.

We talk about different strokes, and she gives me tips as I try each one. Though I've never really swam before, the Magikarp Skill makes this swimming routine feel almost like something I did before but can't remember the details. Misty leaves me to the pool and grabs some coffee and a stack of papers then sits down at a table where she can watch me.

I swim back and forth experimenting with different components of movements every so many laps. If I swim too hard or try to force the movement, I feel so sore on the next lap, but a slower and longer reach makes the movement much smoother and easier. When I try to pull my head up, my neck gets sore, and I want to stop, but changing the cadence of my breathing to be in synch with every fourth stroke of an arm keeps me from holding my head up and my lungs full of air. The hardest part for me is just making myself not quit out of boredom or fatigue. This exercise really tests your patience.

After what seems like the longest few hours of my life, Misty waves a hand and asks me to take a break. I climb out of the pool and feel the cold air on my skin as the water drips to the ground. She hands me at small towel and a Potion which I quickly apply to my skin. I notice that with the exception of my hair, most of my body feels dry almost instantly. It's this Big's swimsuit. Cool! The Potion goes to work and relieves tension that was forming in my calves and back instantly.

Misty motions for me to follow her back to her office where some sushi has been laid out on a platter. There are so many kinds and colors, I feel my mouth watering!

"Please have lunch on me. You've been working hard," she says as I sit down, trying my best to eat slowly.

"Thank you!"

"So you're the son of a soldier right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Oh please, just say Misty. I think we're the same age if not close," she says looking embarrassed.

I nod as I stuff down another piece of sushi.

"I…anyway you want to be a soldier like your father?"

"Well not exactly. Actually my father was a carpenter before he went into the military. He died in the war and now it's just me and my Mom."

"Oh I'm sorry for your loss!"

"Thank you."

"What was your name before taking the mantle of Red?"

"My birth name was Satoshi Himura, Jr."

"So you even had his name then!"

"Yes and like my father, I want to do a service to Kanto. He worked all his days providing quality furniture to people and then died for us. I want to honor him with the way I use my life, too."

"Do you know how you'll do that?"

"To be honest, at first I didn't. I just hoped to travel Kanto, get belts, and have some fun along the way as if a mission might fall from the sky and hit me or something. Ha ha."

"Ha ha. A wild heart, huh! What do mean at first? Does that mean something did fall from the sky after all?"

"Yes! I have heard nothing but bad news about Team Rocket since I left home. They are a menace, and I want to help protect the people from evil like them."

"You're quite the gutsy guy, you know that right!? I mean I want to stop them, too, but we simply don't have enough people in power to keep them in check. The public is afraid of them, and Team Rocket uses that fear against us."

"I will not be afraid. Misty, you have to train me. Teach me all you know so I can fight them!"

"Whoa calm down fella! Let's take a walk, you and me, to let our stomachs settle then when we come back my team will be here to watch us fight. OK?"

"Ok." I say and take a deep breath.

Misty leads me outside, and we walk across town. We go over the bridge and down to the beach where she went on her date with Ken only we're much farther away from Bill's house this time. She climbs onto a flat rock and motions for me to sit on it next to her. I climb up and sit down beside her.

"This is my quiet place. I come here to stop, to think, and to remember."

"To remember what?" I ask.

"To remember my place in life, my purpose. To remember why I became a gym leader in the first place."

She gives me a somber look and hands me a photograph. The picture shows a younger Misty in a blue swim suit standing between a man in a blue suit and a woman in a white dress, her parents.

"Many people lost their parents back then. In the war. There are multiple 'Red's' out there you know. I would have taken that name, too, but I'll never forget something my father said to me. He said to me, 'Misty, don't you ever change my girl. You are the greatest treasure I have from your mother. If you have to give up every earthly pleasure, you won't lack a thing. Love you darling!"

Misty looks away and takes in a long breath. I hear a faint snivel before she wipes her eyes and tells me to listen to waves. She tells me to close my eyes, and I do.

We sit in silence and listen to the waves. I think of my father. I remember his quiet smile, his strong hands, and his warm hugs. I hear his words again in my head: "Do not be afraid." Peace comes over me and though I'm worried about my friends, I feel my mind and body feel relaxed.

"Red," Misty says turning to me at last. I open my eyes and look at her.

"You remember this place! Find somewhere different if you want, but find a way to take a quiet place with you wherever you go. Never let your emotions or earthly desires cloud your judgment. Return here daily and remember just who you are and why you're here. If you remember nothing else from me, remember that."

I have no words, but I nod and smile. She smiles as well and leads me back to town. When we get near the gym, a group of guys and girls are standing outside waiting. We all go in at the same time, and I notice that the TVs are on now.

Oh man! I forgot that when I lost yesterday that also went on TV. And no one texted me or anything? Maybe that's for the best actually. I hope this time to redeem myself.

Misty leaves the room and comes back shortly later in her white swimsuit.

We are told to start and Misty jumps in the pool. It's time! I jump in the water and try my best to Tackle her from the get go. I hit Misty, but she Rapid Spins her body, striking me multiple times and leaving me dizzy. I transition skills to Charmeleon and take a few more hits like this. She pauses for just a moment and I Scratch at her. Misty claps her hands and bubbles fly at my face. Unlike soapy bubbles, this Bubblebeam is heavy and packs a wallop. I go back to Scratching her and notice I'm doing more damage this time compared to yesterday, but once she uses Bubblebeam again, it's over.

Crack!

I transition back to Magikarp Skill and Tackle Misty. This time her Skill cracks, and I see her look disoriented for a moment. I transition to my Nidorino Skill and throw Poisonstings at her. I remember that she told me earlier that Poison is weak against Psychic so I switch to my Doublekick. She regains composure and quickly grabs my foot under water. Doublekick is a Fighting move and also weak against Psychic. Stupid!

I have no choice! I'll have to hope that Tackling again and again without stopping will wear down her Starmie Skill enough for me to win this fight. So that's what I do again and again. I can tell that my increased levels from training allow me to do more damage as Misty is taking some heavy breaths between blows.

But just as I start to feel comfortable, she closes her eyes, and I hear a disorienting ringing in my brain and pain surge through my body. Confusion!

Crack!

At long last, my Nidorino Skill fails. My Magikarp Skill will have to do. She tries to use Confusion on me again but misses somehow. I swim towards her for a Tackle.

BAM!

I can tell this threw her off and continue my attack. She finally uses Bubblebeam on me again and knocks me back. I happen to see the screen outside of the pool and the green bar above my name. When Misty uses water attacks on me using me now, it hardly does any damage. She's getting sloppy. I'm close to winning this fight.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

I Tackle her again and again and at last hear a final crack. I won!

A lady swims over to Misty and escorts her out of the pool and walks her to a recovery bed. As I get out of the pool myself, a man gives me his hand and pulls me up. A crowd has formed around me like last time to cheer for me. I check the monitor and notice that the Magikarp Skill reads LVL 19. Wow!

After several minutes, Misty comes to me holding the Cascade Belt. We take a picture as she presents it to me, and I stuff it in my bag.

"I won't keep you Red. I know you have to run. The press wants to question you to death, and I've opted to answer for you if that's OK."

"Uh…"

"Don't worry. This is totally normal for winners to get lots of questions. Just be prepared if you keep this up. Most trainers take several weeks or longer to get belts, but you and your friends got two in less than a week! That doesn't go without notice. Kanto could use some heroes!"

"Then I'll try to not let them down," I say with a smile.

"Hey Red, take this, too, but don't open it here!" Misty says sticking a bent piece of paper in my hand. I stick it in my pocket.

We say our good byes and wave then I dart out of the gym. I jog south at a good pace. About the time I reach Route 5 which is where I slept last night, I get a phone call.

"Red?"

"Green! Where are you? Are you OK?"

"I'm OK. We're both OK. We're…we're in Vermillion City. They evacuated a lot of us to neighboring towns. That works out though right?"

"Because that's where the cruise starts! Right. OK, well I am leaving Cerulean City now. I'll get there as soon as I can."

"Oh I want to see you, but don't rush. Saffron City isn't safe, and Vermillion City is kind of far. How are you going to get here?"

"That's OK. I'll get there somehow. You let me worry about that."

"Red…hold on! My Mom has been trying to call me, and I just got signal again. Let me take this…"

"OK!" I say as the phone clicks.

I make my way back to the gate only to see construction signs and yellow tape everywhere. A guard stands in the middle of it all dusting off his cap.

"Excuse me!"

"Oh? Hey kid, the gate is…well you see."

"I do! I do, but my friends were in town. I just got off the phone with them, and they're in Vermillion City. Please let me through. I'll be careful."

"Can't do that. Sorry. The rock on this side of the gate is unstable not to mention there are enemy Koffing still patrolling the city. As of right now, Saffron City is militarized zone. You simply can't go in there. If you're friends made it to Vermillion City, count your blessings and go home. They're much luckier than a lot of others."

"I believe you, sir, and I know you only want to do the right thing. Look I have two belts and Evertone and so do my friends. We're not pushovers. I can't back down sir. I'll stay here all day if I have to."

"Oh my word! What is your name kid?"

"Red!"

"Patrol we have a…" he starts to say something over his portable radio and stops." What did you say?"

"My name is Satoshi Himura, Jr., but now I go by Red, sir."

"Officer Keith? You there?" goes the radio.

"Sorry, Benjamin, false alarm. Never mind!" he responds and holsters the radio.

"You know kid…I was in the Yellow unit, but I heard about your Dad. Satoshi Himura was a hero."

I nod.

"Tell you what, I didn't say this, but there is a system of bomb shelters that connect underneath Saffron City built from a war centuries ago. An entrance is just behind you to the right. Go through there, and you'll pop up right in Vermillion City."

"Thank you!"

I turn to where he mentioned and see a small cave with an "X" painted on it. This is it. I walk in slowly and step over several rocks before I find a ladder. Taking it down to a lower level, I find myself in almost total darkness even though it's daylight. I'll have to use my cell phone as a flash light to make it through here.

I see hardly anything at all for several minutes and start to feel quite bored. It's a straight path with no sound or anything to look at it. I remember that Misty gave me something at the gym and pull it out to look at.

The letter opens to reveal a simple message: "Red, you are truly inspiring. I hope to hear all about your journeys. If you ever need a reminder, don't be a stranger! Misty."

Under her name is her cell phone number. I feel very flattered, but also confused. Misty is a pretty girl, but also a Gym Leader. Does this message mean she wants to be a support to me or that she wants to ask me out? Maybe it's both. Was she flirting with me earlier?

In my head, I have always found Daisy to be the most attractive girl I know, but she isn't exactly close friends with me. Misty seemed really interested in getting to know me, but I just met her. Then there is Green. I know her more than Misty though not much more. Green is also very pretty. I didn't know the real Green until this journey started, but well I still don't, and I won't!

She is into Blue. She told me herself and ran off with the guy. I should be happy for them getting to be together. I know that Blue at least thinks she is attractive though why hasn't he said anything about it to me? Blue probably wouldn't mind me dating Daisy, but would it be weird? But we're not dating anyway, so it doesn't matter. Oh! I forgot to tell him I invited her on the cruise.

I try to call Blue but have no signal. I try texting too but no luck. Lame sauce! I hope he doesn't mind me inviting her. I don't want this to be awkward. I didn't really have a chance to tell them though because of what happened in Saffron City.

I stuff the letter from Misty in my pocket and decide to try and run for town.

Wham!

"Ow!" I cry as I hit my head on a root overhead. Forget that idea! It's too dark. I'll just try to speed walk my way there.

I go on and on, stopping every now and then to check my service but never getting a signal. When I finally see light at the end of the tunnel, I feel my stomach rumble. I have been in here for hours, and it's time to eat food.

Once I clear the gap, I emerge on Route 6 and see a sign for Vermillion City in front of me. A big crowd is stranding by the gate to town, but I notice people are still getting through this time. I maneuver through the crowd and wave at the guards.

Suddenly my phone beeps several times. Service is back!

I have messages from multiple people including Mom, Daisy, and Green.

Mom somehow just got word about Saffron City and has left many frantic messages and voicemail which I quickly delete. I call her back and after several minutes reassure her I'm OK. I hang up and look at the messages from Daisy.

She reminds me that the cruise leaves tomorrow. What? I check the ticket again and realize not only was I cutting it close, I had what day it starts on wrong in my head. Glad I made it tonight! I thank for reminding me in a text to which she promises to be here just in time tomorrow. Yellow is bringing her. That guy from the forest! Who is that guy anyway? Why him?

I then look at Green's messages and realize that she is upset. They made it to town, but the police believed that Team Rocket snuck in disguised as victims. Blue and Green have been standing and waiting to be searched and interrogated all day and just now got released. I give her a call right away.

"Hey, that's awful! Have you had anything to eat? Dinner for three on me!"

"Oh you're amazing! No, we're starving! We'll be right…hold on."

I wait a few minutes and see Blue rounding a corner. He looks nonchalant but his clothes are dirty. We shake hands and give each other a big hug. As I step back, I look around for Green but don't see her.

"She's coming!" Blue says.

Then as if on cue, Green comes around the corner with her phone to her ear.

"I know. I know…" she says looking very concerned. She sees me and waves, and I see smile come over her face.

"Mom, I will. OK, tell Dad I will. I gotta go! Love you!"

She hangs up the phone and runs to me. I pull her in for a hug and can't help but hold her tight. Like the time when I carried her through the forest, I can smell Green's perfume and feel her warmth against my body only this time she feels shaky and the perfume is hard to smell over smoke. I step back and look into her eyes. She has dirt and a cut on her face. I put my hand to her cheek, and she holds it there with a bruised hand.

"I'm glad you're safe. I was at the gate last night. There were explosions…I was worried," I say before noticing Blue rolling his eyes out of the corner of my eyes. What am I doing! I let Green go and step back. I feel embarrassed and look away.

"We're OK!" Green says not sounding the least bit bothered. "We are, really! Glad you are, too."

"So I heard you're buying tonight?" Blue asks. I turn to him and see him grin.

"Yeah! Let's eat!" I yell.

And just like that, we're off to look for food. The trio from Pallet Town will eat and laugh together, and tonight we will recover and rest. Tomorrow will have to worry about itself.


	7. Steam Ship Anne

11

We enjoy a nice but not too expensive dinner at Seaside, a family friendly restaurant with a buffet. The food is decent, but my company is the best part! Throughout the evening, Green does most of the talking even though she keeps insisting that she's tired. How does she keep going? She manages to eat as much as Blue and I as well.

Apparently Blue was irritated more that he didn't get to see the Saffron City Gym than he was that a terrorist attack happened or forced to stay out for nearly a day. I remember Brock's words that I shouldn't be in such a hurry and miss seeing Kanto in the process. If Blue could help it, he would rush from one city to the next without looking back.

I don't understand him lately. Green said that people grieve differently. Even now Blue looks he is ready to leave, keeping an eye on the clock and the nearest door at all times. I can't help but notice that his eyes are never on Green during the meal.

When we finish, it's back to the Focus for us. Green heads down a hallway to the left where the women sleep, and Blue and I head to the right. As we strip to take showers in adjoining stalls, I ask Blue, "So how's it been with Green the past couple of days?"

"Huh? Oh nice!"

"She's a pretty girl, right?"

"Yeah, nice legs."

"Well don't tell me too much detail here!" I tease hoping for more story.

"What do you want from me, Red? She's cool all right," he says sounding very defensive.

"But don't you like her, you know, like a girlfriend?"

"Oh yeah, I mean we have been on some crazy dates! I mean it was wacky!"

"What!?" I yell as I slip in the shower and catch myself just before I fall flat on my bottom.

"Ha ha! Just messing with you man. Am I crazy or do you like her?" Blue asks.

"I would have to say both."

"Ha ha, I knew it!"

"Man, I don't even know how I feel right. Why joke about dating her with me?"

"Live a little, Red! Green won't go out with a robot unless that robot is programmed to listen to chitchat then maybe. Ha!"

"OK. I hear you…Hey, I have to tell you something."

Does this have to do with the part about you asking my sister to join us tomorrow?"

"She called you?"

"She IS my sister."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wait so long without bringing it up."

"There was no time. I don't care, but let me ask you man, why on earth did you ask my sister?" Blue asks sounding very annoyed.

"Well I mean we go way back and she's pretty cool and…"

"Oh no!"

"What!?"

"Oh man, you got to be kidding me!" Blue says sticking his head out of the shower and glaring at me.

"WHAT!?"

"Man, you like my sister?"

"Is that so bad? I mean she is pretty."

"Yeah, pretty annoying man, besides don't you think her boyfriend will be a bit jealous?"

"Boyfriend?" I think back and remember Daisy mentioning Yellow bringing her tomorrow. She has a boyfriend?

"Yellow?"

"Oh well look at you detective! Yeah, and now she is coming to annoy us to death. Thanks for nothing. How did you convince her to pay for a ticket?" Blue asks as he turns the water off and dries off with a towel.

"What!? I didn't. I have a ticket that says two for one, just like you!" I say also getting out of the shower.

"Two for one?" Blue says sounding confused. We both dig through our pockets and find the tickets for S.S. Anne only mine is blue and Blue's is red. How backwards? Anyway, I can see from here that his ticket reads "Good for One."

"Ah crap!"

"Red, tell me you didn't do what I think you did."

"Me? Blue you told me your ticket was just like mine!"

"I have a ticket for S.S. Anne! You... somebody isn't going on this trip tomorrow."

Blue looks at his phone and frowns.

"I was going to text Daisy, but she's here already!"

"Here?"

"She said that Yellow got off work early, and brought her here. They're staying at a hotel nearby. Gross!"

"Great! Now someone can't go and everyone is already here!" I groan. "You should have told me that me you didn't have the two for one ticket!"

"You should have thought before you started inviting everybody to go on an expensive cruise!"

We both march to our respective pods and get in. Each of us pokes our heads out once to yell, "You did this! I'm mad at you! Good night!"

We both slam our pods shut, and I know at least for me it takes a long time for me to fall asleep. I feel angry and disappointed and confused. I invited two girls that I like on a trip together and now someone can't go. Maybe I'll have to bow out. It would only be fair. I close my eyes eventually and fall asleep.

When I wake up the next morning, I don't feel well rested or ready to face the day. I feel sweaty and anxious. I get dressed and walk silently with Blue to the front to get breakfast. We eat quietly until Green comes out to join us.

She has the biggest smile and her black dress on. She has put on makeup and perfume like in Viridian City only this time she seems very relaxed. If I didn't know her, I'd think she and the person I saw last night were two different people. Seeing her looking her best makes me feel good at first, but then my guilt floods back in. Blue notices her but quickly gets distracted texting his sister.

"Good morning boys! How are you today?"

"It's another day!" I say uncomfortably. Blue nods in agreement.

"They're coming over here to meet us," he says with a yawn. "Wait, no, Yellow just flew off. It's just her now."

"What flew off? Who's meeting us?" Green asks.

"Daisy," I respond.

"Oh? Is she coming on the cruise with us or just seeing us off before we leave?"

"We don't know yet," Blue says as he shoots me a dirty look. Green looks back and forth between us, but no one talks.

When the Daisy finally makes it, Green jumps to her feet and greets her. Blue and I walk over quietly, dreading the inevitable. Hopefully Blue can help me figure out what to say.

"Well Red, we made it! Yellow just dropped me off. Are we all ready to go?" Daisy asks.

"Uh…well," I start.

"Well, Red, good luck sorting this out. I'll be waiting on the boat. Smell ya later!" Blue says as he grabs his bag and sneaks away.

"Blue!? Blue, get back here!" I yell.

"Why the rush with him? Red, what does he mean by sorting things out?" Green asks.

"Did I miss something?" Daisy asks.

"Well I have to apologize because I didn't plan this very well. Here was kind of a mix up. Blue and I have different tickets, but we didn't realize it until it was too late."

"Different tickets?"

"Yes, his ticket says 'good for one' and mine says 'two for one.' I thought we had tickets for four people, and we only have tickets for three."

"So you don't have a ticket for me then!" Daisy says.

"Wait, you invited me to come along then invited Daisy, too?" Green asks.

"Yes, I thought that Blue had the same ticket as me and that you would be his plus one," I say.

"Oh wow!" Daisy says making a big smile. "Are you dating my brother?"

"What!? No, we're just friends," Green insists looking very bothered.

"Oh, well good luck. Blue is a handful," Daisy continues. "Well Red, I don't have to come with even though I wanted to go. Why exactly did you invite me personally? Did you have plans for the cruise? I hope I won't ruin them by not coming!"

"What! No, I just wanted to…"

"Yeah, Red what's your big plan for Daisy and me," Green interrupts.  
"I guess the idea was I go with Blue and you go with Daisy right!"

"With me?" Daisy asks. "Oh my goodness! Red, you didn't think…I mean you're more like another little brother to me. Ha ha! We couldn't go as a couple that would be awkward plus I'm dating Yellow. Oh, but I just started dating him and it's been kind of a secret from Grandfather so you wouldn't have known. I guess it's partly my fault."

"Red…" Green says looking serious. "Where exactly did you get this ticket?"

"Uhhh well I…"

"Can I see it?" she presses as she leans close to me.

"Sure, let me get it out of my pocket…" I say and dig in my jeans.  
Then it happens. The awkwardness so far wasn't enough. Being left to sort it out by myself wasn't enough. No! I pull out the ticket and out pops the letter from Misty.

Time slows down for me as I watch it fall like a snowflake to the floor. It lands open, and I feel my body just freeze. Green picks it up and looks it over.

"Green…she wrote me that after giving me the Cascade Belt. She taught me…" I try to explain.

"Red," she says softly backing up. "I just remembered something. I need to go take care of it." She stares at the floor and won't make eye contact with me.

"What?"

"Yes," Green turns back to Daisy with a red face as she puts the note gently back in my hands and avoiding my gaze.

"Daisy, I have to take care of some errands, and I think that I should probably take care of them first. Yellow brought you here from Pallet Town so you should go! I don't think I would be able to enjoy this trip right now. Thanks for reminding me what I had to do Red," she says liking my way for a second. I see a look in her eyes I can't place.

"Please go with the boys and have a good time for me, OK? Maybe next time."

"Oh Green, you're so kind! Are you sure?"

"Green, please go. I can stay here. It's all my…" I start.

"Oh…ha ha. That's OK Red; you've done enough already. Thanks though!" she says looking away. "You guys have a nice week! Bye Red," she says to Daisy and turns to walk away, a hand over her mouth. I hear a noise as she leaves like sniveling, but I can't see for sure. I try to catch up with her outside, but when I get outside of the Focus she is lost in the crowd.

"Green!"

She's gone!

I turn around and see Daisy happily texting. She even says the words under breath while she texts. "Had an amazing night…yeah...got to get out of the house with you every night...sorry couldn't have you here, too…going to be babysitting. Ha! Talk to you later!"

Babysitting! Ugh!

I look again for Green and text her to come back, but after waiting for several minutes I decide that she isn't going to come back. I can't believe it. What have I done?

"Well Red, are you ready to set sail?" Daisy asks.

"Sure," I say looking over my shoulder hoping that at any moment Green will come back. Come back Green and talk to me. This will all work out somehow. But that doesn't happen.

Daisy grabs her bag, and I get mine before we walk to the pier. A man takes my ticket and waves for us to board the ship.

The S.S. Anne is as big as it is elegant. The liner seems less like the tugboat sort of thing I pictured in my head with life preservers and fish jets everywhere and more like a small city. There are restaurants, theaters, swimming pools, and fitness centers. There are gift shops, barbers, spas, and coffee shops. The lights and decor are very modern and shiny. Most stores have opaque windows and mood lighting. Music from different countries circulates in the air around us. It all seems quite marvelous, and I could enjoy it if only I could forget Green. But I can't.

A man in a bow tie and vest walks up to us and leads us back to our rooms. Oh! I didn't think about this. He walks Blue to his own private room with a big screen TV, a queen size bed with a duvet, and a minibar not to mention all the nicest of appliances and furnishings. I feel my mouth water and watch as Blue jumps on the bed and hugs the oversized pillows. "See you losers later!" he says as the attendant walks us out of the room.

We go down the hall and up to another deck to our room. Inside we find all of the same furnishings as in Blue's room except for some unexpected differences. The now king size bed has a bucket of roses and champagne on it and a trail of rose petals that lead to a Jacuzzi in the middle of the room. The room has dimmers on the lights and a pair of robes hanging by the all glass shower.

"Whoa! Now this is a room!" Daisy cries. "Red, did you…"

"No."

"I mean try to imagine…"

"No," I reply again. I can't think about it. Not anything she might say. I'm a guy and the idea of being in this couple's suite with a beautiful woman has our all sorts of images in my mind there is no denying, but for once I'm not sure I want them there. The idea that Daisy has a boyfriend that she may be sleeping with and also that she thinks of me, as a brother isn't cool.

Getting the hint, Daisy waves at the attendant as he leaves and sets her things down without talking at first. She sits on the bed and kicks her feet back and forth like a bored schoolgirl. It's almost cute but also kind of annoying.

"Red, did you pick out this room?"

"No, I got this ticket from a guy named Bill. He didn't say why he didn't want it, but I'm guessing he had planned to use this for him and someone he cared about."

"Well, Bill is just a very generous guy and quite romantic, but…we should talk about sleeping arrangements. I'll text Blue. I can take his room if he didn't ruin it yet, and you guys can take this one, which is obviously nicer and bigger. Maybe I can have the champagne?"

"Sure. And Thanks."

Several minutes later, a disgruntled Blue stomps down the hallway and knocks on the door. I let him in, and he charges in without a word and throws his things on the ground.

"You know I had that room to myself before your shenanigans started right?"

I don't say anything. Neither does Blue. We stares at each other wildly for a moment until Daisy passes between us.

"OK boys…" she says in an uneasy tone." I'll be in the other room for a little bit then be out by the pool. Text me if you want to meet up."

We don't answer but simply nod, and Daisy waves a hand and leaves without another word. Blue doesn't say anything just grabs something from his bag and walks out the door.

I'm in a fantasy suite by myself and on a cruise ship feeling miserable. Ugh! I lay face down on the bed and put a pillow over the back of my head. I don't know why, but I feel like I could fall right to sleep and take a nap.

When I wake up, I realize I've been out for an hour and check my phone. No messages. I text Green telling her I'm sorry and hope she is OK. No response. When I get up, a strange feeling comes over me. The ground feels shaky, and I have a discomfort in my throat and stomach. I think I'm feeling nauseas.

I run to the window and pull back a white curtain only to see the blue waters of Lake Kanto, the biggest body of water in Kanto. We have left town and started moving. I watch birds fly overhead not sure exactly which kind they are and feel the slightest sloshing of the boat on the water. Unlike a little boat in the sea, the cruise ship on the lake should have very little motion that you can feel, but I feel something. Is this motion sickness or seasickness or something?

I lie back down but don't feel good so I sit up. I try sitting and standing and pacing but nothing feels good. Finally I run to the bathroom, but I can't quite throw up. I just feel awful. I text Blue and have him come by the room, but he insists that I should just try to drink water and get some medicine. I just got sick so medicine seems unnecessary. A couple of hours go by so I finally agree to the take it and then get back in bed. Blue sets up a bed in the big couch across the room fearing I'll transfer my sickness to him. I don't blame him.

Blue grabs me some soups and sodas and various things that he thinks I should be able to drink then leaves. He is trying his best to take care of me, but I know he is still mad at me and wants to spend time on his own. I don't say much but thank him when I can and try to sleep.

The first day goes by then another before I start to feel better. The nausea comes on and off again and I feel mostly depressed than truly physically ill throughout the process. After hours of drinking broth and flavored waters while watching TV and rolling around in bed, I start to feel better.

I decide to go walk around the ship in search of something to do. I find a little café and ask for a Soda. Maybe that will help. The drink tastes great, but once I get up to leave I notice the same feeling in my body.

I try to do some shopping but can't focus and nothing catches my eye. I should be happy, but I'm not. When lunchtime comes, I don't eat but instead go back to the room. When I open the door, Daisy is inside talking to Blue.

"Blue, you don't have to always run off you know. You can at least pretend like you care about someone. Who knows you might even start to feel compassion for once!"

"Oh whatever. Like I really want to be like you, sneaking out of the house to sleep with your boyfriend."

Daisy rolls her eyes.

"And you sneak off and come back and play the part of Miss Sweet around Gramps."

"He doesn't care what I do, but at least I don't try to hurt his feelings out right like somebody I know!"

"I don't want to discuss this with you. It's none of your business!" Daisy yells. Blue and Daisy suddenly notice I'm in the room but instead of staying to see what they might say next, I turn around and walk back out the door.

For the next couple of days, even though I'm feeling less nauseated and getting around the ship, drama keeps me from feeling any peace. Either the drama of two siblings picking fights in the room or the one I've having for myself for not planning this trip, they're both something I want to avoid. I wish I had ripped that ticket up Bill gave me. Why did I take it anyway?

12

The fourth night I sit down in quiet in my room to eat some noodles. I have the lights off and curtains pulled and don't know where Blue is or when he is coming back. The TV is my only light which I use to find my phone and text Green.

"I want to make this up to you somehow. Is there anything I can do?" I text. I set the phone down and look away. This has been the routine since I got in this ship.  
But this time a message flashes across the screen.

"What are you doing?"

"Hey! Oh, I'm sitting in bed eating dinner. Still feel kind of sick. How about you?"

"I'm still mad at you. You keep texting me. I want you to stop."

"I'm sorry about what happened the other day, and I don't mean to annoy you. I just want to talk to you."

Suddenly the phone rings. I answer and hear Green's voice.

"Green?"

"It's me. What do you want to talk about?"

"Well…"

"Did you say sick? What's wrong with you?"

"Not sure, but I think its seasickness. I have some medicine for that and put this cream behind my ears. I thought it was food poisoning as well but that is usually gone in a day or two right?"

"Oh. Sure." She is short with me, so little to respond to.

"I know I've already said this several times, but I AM SO SORRY!"

"I know you are."

"I would have let you take my place. I thought you were coming with Blue. Sure, Daisy would have been a third wheel, but you would have been with him. I didn't get a chance to offer that."

"You mean because I left. Because I realized you invited me on this trip and then invited Blue's incredibly beautiful sister without telling anyone until the last second. Because you stuck a letter in your pocket from Misty where she asked you out after you two did who knows what?"

"OK, I know it all sounds really bad. I won't lie. I always thought Daisy was very pretty, but to be honest, I would have been much happier if I had never invited her here. We have nothing in common, and all she does is fight with Blue."

"Well I'm sorry you two didn't work out!" she yells. I don't know what to say for a moment so I sit quietly holding my phone listening to silence.

"Are you still there!?"

"Yes, sorry."

"And what about being with Blue?"

"Yeah, I thought you liked Blue. What happened between you and him? You told me that you wanted to be with him, but you two don't seem very close."

"What is there to say? We left Pewter City and at night we had dinner together. It was actually nice at first, but then Blue tried to kiss me and puts his hands on me. I just…I didn't feel it. He kind of didn't get the hint to stop, and eventually I just snapped and yelled at him and punched him in the face. It was awkward after that. He took me shopping which cheers me up but that's all. I don't want to be with Blue in a relationship."

"I'm sorry! Wow! I didn't know that happened."

"Well it's embarrassing when the guy you crush on turns out to just be a guy. When that happens, you don't tell the world about it."

"No, I guess that makes sense. Well hey let me just say this and please believe me. Nothing happened with Misty. At least nothing happened for me. She spent extra time training me and told me that she would have used the name Red like me after the war but kept her name because of something her father said. We just had a heart to heart talking about our parents. To be honest, I liked it, but it was kind of awkward, and the note really threw me off. I just always leave random things in my pockets. I forgot it was even there."

"Obviously Mr. Casanova! And you know you really shouldn't talk to girls about really personal things. It gives them the message that you are closer to them than just a friend. Misty may have wanted to talk with you as a friend but as gym leader she should know better. I can't believe she said that to you. I bet she isn't a Red at all, and she just said that to get your attention."

"Well I genuinely feel lost and confused and moronic. I'm glad you decided to text me back. I know I blew it, this trip, but I had to talk to you."

"Well you're taking to me now. Maybe I wanted you to feel terrible for a few days. That was harsh of me, but I was hurt."

"I know. I wish I had done things differently the other day, and you could enjoy this cruise."

"I'm not really upset about the cruise. It will be over soon, and you two will be back. I was madder about these women you were hiding. I didn't want you to think that I was OK with someone that dates multiple people at the same time. Are you some kind of player, Red?"

"What!? No, I'm not. I…might not have fully said this to you earlier, but I have never dated anyone before. I think I got cocky when I got the all this attention at once. All I did was mess up everything."

"You didn't mess up everything. Not beyond repair."

"I promised you a trip on this cruise and left you by yourself. I'm like the worst friend ever!"

"Yes!" she laughs, "But like I said I don't care about the stupid cruise. I didn't want to go on the trip to see the water or pamper myself, and I definitely didn't want to be around Blue or Daisy. I just wanted to enjoy some more time with you."

"Oh!" I say and suddenly get to my feet. I feel the urge to pace back and forth across the bedroom. "Wait, you did?"

"Yes, dummy!"

"Oh…OK! Hold on! Now per advice earlier should I be discussing this stuff with you? You are a girl after all."

"All my life!"

"And this IS personal stuff."

"Red, what is your point? I'm just explaining something to II about sling to girls and you're being weird. You don't want to talk about personal things with just any girl."

"What if I only talk about this to the right girl?"

"Who is the RIGHT girl!?"

"This is the right girl. I'm talking to her right now."

"Oh…well are you sure?"

"I feel pretty sure. I've learned more about women taking to you in the past few minutes than I have patently learned anything in my whole life."

"That's pretty sad. Ha ha!"

"Isn't it?" I remark as I walk over to the back door and step back out on the porch. I sit down and lay back.

"Green, I'm really sorry."

"OK already! I forgive you. You have had a rough few days, but I hope the next few are much better. I don't want you to be sick. I don't want there to be any trouble between us either."

"Thanks! Me either...Hey, what are you doing right now?"

"Me? I'm sitting outside of the Focus in Lavender Town talking to you. Why?"

"Lavender Town?"

"Yeah, I needed something to do. I got the Spark Belt and traveled here by tunnel. There was some Pokémon blocking the road over so I didn't bother."

"Wow! OK. Well tell me all about it?"

For the next several minutes, Green tells me about the Gym Leader of Vermillion City, the Snorlax sleeping in the middle of the only road east, and strange happenings in Lavender Town.

"Question! Not to be random, but have you looked at the sky tonight? Can you see all these stars?" I ask as I look into heavens.

"I...yeah, wow. It really is beautiful isn't it?"

"You're beautiful."

"What?"

"Nothing!"

I need to slow down. I do think Green is beautiful. I won't lie, but I don't want say something right now and blow the moment. I don't want to overdo this or rush it. I'm just glad she's even talking to me right now.

"Do you know any of the stars or constellations?" she asks.

I listen to Green talk about the constellations which her father apparently knew all by name. Her voice calms me and for the first time on this trip, I feel like I'm actually on a cruise ship and not in a prison. We talk for a couple of hours on the phone before Blue suddenly staggers back in the room.

"What's all that racket? What are you doing?"

"Oh it's not me! Blue just got back!"

"OK! Well maybe I should go then. It is getting late."

"Me too!"

"Red?"

"Yes?"

"You spent enough time feeling bad on this trip. Can you spend the rest of your time there enjoying it, for me! Maybe take some pictures?"

Blue pops outside with me and freezes seeing me on the phone.

"Uh…yes! I can do that. I'd be happy to. I'll talk to you later! Good night!" I say on the phone.

"Good night!" Green says as the call ends. Blue gives me a confused look.

"Who was that?"

"Green."

"Nice! You seem chipper."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you've been sick and depressed looking for days. Now you're all google-eyed!"

"So!"

"Ha!" Blue grabs a seat next to me.  
"I should have known. Well how much does she want in repairs? 100$? 300$?"

"Funny! No, she just wanted to talk. We finally really talked about us…I think. It was nice."

"Well I'm glad you guys are cool. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes actually. I kind of want to get out of the room and go for a walk."

"Oh good! I've been bored out of my mind, and I'm over trying to find something to do with Daisy. All she talks about is Yellow this, Yellow that. Oh and apparently she and her friend Erica aren't talking right now."

"What happened?"

"I don't know. Erica literally stopped taking to her and won't answer any phone calls."

"Do you think something is wrong?"

"Ah maybe nothing but Daisy is convinced that Erica is blowing her off on purpose. I don't know, but that girl is kind of off. I mean nice and all but off."

"How so?"

"Well first off, and I told Daisy this: Erika with a "K" is a Gym Leader in Celadon City, and she looks and dresses just like Erica with a "C." I asked her straight up if she was the Gym Leader or not, and Erica just laughed and didn't say anything either way. She'll deflect and redirect and turn the conversation to being about you or she'll suddenly have somewhere to be. It's kind of mysterious, kind of naughty you know, but I don't actually know what her deal is."

"She probably gets that a lot if she looks just like Erika with a "K." I wonder if she is the Gym Leader and maybe she wants to downplay that so she can have friends. Maybe she isn't but has a sarcastic personality."

"That's just it! I don't think she is the Gym Leader, but I think she wants people to think she is. It's like a game or something?"

"Well I don't know what to tell you. I was just told not to talk to girls about personal stuff unless you're ready for the consequences. Sounds to me like Erica is drama. Maybe there is more to her than meets the eye, but we'll have to wait on her to share it with us. Besides if she is the Gym Leader, we will find out when we get to Celadon City."

"That's true! OK, well if it's cool with you let's go for a walk then," Blue says.

I get to my feet, and off we go.  
The next several days go much smoother. My nausea is more or less gone though I still eat very lightly. Now I can get out of the room and see some shops and entertainment. Blue has been ahead of me by leveling up his Element Skills in battle, but he is behind me in physical training so we decide to try and even each other out. Blue joins me for a morning run and then some evening strength conditioning the next two days. Blue keeps promising to take me somewhere for Monster Training on the last day. Apparently there is some kind of event that he heard about through chatter from the crew. Daisy sticks to tanning and only swings by when we eat breakfast or dinner, which has been a healthy balance for everyone.

When the week is almost over, Blue takes me down to the bottom deck where trainers are planning to meet and fight. On this evening apparently, everyone that was considering doing MT on the ship decides to show up. The hallway is so crammed and loud that it's hard to figure out what's going on. A whistle blows, and a man steps forward, and everyone backs up to the wall to let him walk by. It's the captain of the ship, dressed in blue and gold with a fancy hat and white gloves on.

"Good evening gentlemen and ladies! I am Captain Hakudo. For those of you who don't know me, I was formerly in the Kanto Navy, but before I joined I was caught up in some gang violence back home in Cinnabar Island. Things were much different back then, and in order to protect myself I had to be tough so I practiced Iaido, a martial art incorporating sword use.

Now as you probably know, carrying a sword through town is no longer legal and draws lots of attention to yourself so I decided to modify this art to my own style. I came up with a style that uses hand to hand combat as well as items in the environment instead of the traditional sword. I am willing to share some of said style with a few winners tonight. Observe!"

Three men walk down the hall carrying a log and drop it on the floor in front of the captain.

Thud!

It looks heavy and tough. He pulls a hand back behind him like he might throw something then brings his arm up and down swiftly towards the log.

CUT!

The log spits in half with one strike. He somehow made his hand like a blade and chopped it! The audience gives a loud applause until the captain waves his hands, and everyone is silent once more.

"Now know this move is Normal and will do damage in battle but not much. Its main function is to chop wood or similar things in nature, and it will have little to no effect on solid rock. Also know when used in a fight it will hurt maybe even KO your enemy, but it won't cut them in half! I know those kinds of attacks, but that sort of thing isn't what I'm teaching tonight! You shouldn't need that sort of thing."

"Ah you say that, but you haven't met my mother!" a sailor teases. The crowd laughs, and I see the captain try to cover his face as he smiles.

"I hope it's not that bad. Ha ha! OK. OK. Please everyone split in half down the hallway and face someone across from you. Give each other enough room," he says and directs everyone to get in place.

"Now folks on this side stay where you are if you win and you on the other side, if you win, slide down to the right. When I whistle, you will all start fighting. When I whistle again, those who lost will exit to the left. Please no lingering. You can watch the rest of the fights in the bar on level 2. Questions? No, let me do a head count. OK, there are 35 folks. So some people may have to fight more than others, but there should be roughly five rounds before we have a winner."

We all shake our heads in agreement, and the captain pulls out a whistle. I'm standing on the side that doesn't move if I win. The guys in front of me and to both sides of him are all sailors. I can see a few guys down from me on the opposing wall is Blue.

The whistle blows, and everyone starts fighting. The guy in front of me makes a ball of energy in his hand and throws it at me. This is just like the Spark Pikachu used on me in the forest. I take the hit and though I have on the Magikarp Skill, I can tell I'm much stronger then my opponent bridge the attack barely hurts me at all. Before he can move again, I Tackle him into the wall. A few more strikes, and he falls down.

The whistle blows and everyone stops. The sailor and half of the group exit the room quietly. I look over to see Blue who is sticking his tongue out at me. I return the gesture then look back to my next opponent.

The whistle blows, and this guy makes a gun with his hand. I watch as he "blasts" water at me and see his hand kick back as if he shot a revolver. His Watergun move is cool but pretty weak and doesn't hurt me at all. I Tackle him, and he goes down easily.

This time I feel power come in my body and see my hands start to glow.  
I close my eyes and see a terrible serpent like creature in my mind that stands up nearly two stories high in a raging storm. It has pointy gills and angry eyes with sharp teeth. Is this the Gyrados creature that the fisherman promised me? Cool!

My opponent looks startled but decides to attack me again by blowing Bubbles out of his mouth. These aren't spit bubbles but more like a weaker version of the Bubble Beam Misty used on me. I close the gap between us and deliver a move that just entered my mind, Bite!

I grow fangs in my mouth just as I Bite the sailor on the neck, and he squeals like a girl! Some men chuckle even as they fight. The whistle blows, and my opponent and several others walk away as before.

The next guys walks up to me, and the whistle blows as before. This sailor starts shaking his hips and arms and flames appear in the air around him before turning into a hoop around his body. I can't help but stare as he forms the disc becomes fuller and complete before flinging it towards me. The Flame Wheel burns me even while using a Water ES, but I dash forward before he can make another one and deliver my Bite. He alternates between trying to Tackle me or use Embers for the next few moves, but he is no match for me.

The whistle blows, and the sailor leaves with a few more people. There are only 4 people left including Blue and me. My next opponent is a man in a suit. The whistle sound, and He tries to Scratch me and use Embers but quickly loses. One whistle and he and the other guy or girl I should say walk off. Not it's just Blue and myself.

He walks to up to me, and we both smile. We haven't fought since before we started Monster Training. I want to see how far Training has brought us. I want to beat Blue, and I'm not going to hold back.

"Just give up Red!"

"You wish!"

The whistle goes off, and Blue brings an arm out swinging like he is playing lacrosse. His hand in a fist suddenly opens, and a Gust of wind knocks me into the wall. He repeats the barrage multiple times, and though I try to attack, I can't get off the wall.

I squat low and cover my face as I transition to the Charmeleon ES. I get ready to burn Blue to the next floor when he uses a Quick Attack. The move feels like a Tackle, but he is so fast I never see it coming. He keeps this tactic up for a few seconds before I can collect my thoughts.

I finally release my Embers, and he stops. His Pidgeotto Skill has cracked. Blue transitions to his Wartortle Skill and uses some familiar attacks on me like Bubble, Rapid Spin, and my newest move Bite.

I feel my Skill fail and decide I switch back to my new Gyrados one. He can't use Water attacks and have an advantage on me anymore. We both dive forward to go for a Bite. He gets my arm while I get his shoulder. The pain is sharp and makes me stumble back.

We fall back from each other, but Blue tries to come at me again. This time I Tackle him to the ground.

When he stands up, Blue claps his hands, and I feel a familiar pain enter my head and body. Confusion makes me feel sick and sore all over. My Gyrados Skill cracks, and I fall to my hands and knees.

I switch to my last Skill and try to catch my breath. I form Poisonstings in my hand and get to my feet. We both have bite marks and blood here and there. Blue looks tired like me. It could be anybody's fight now. The whistle blows, and we freeze.

"Good work gentlemen! I'm going to stop you there and call it a tie. Congratulations!"

Blue rolls his eyes at me. Neither of us wanted a tie, but it was a good fight. We both bow to one another then turn to face the captain.

"Come to my office," he says and leads us to a room down the hall. He has a nice room with books and medals and pictures of matches he fought in in black and white photographs on the wall. He takes us over to a log and for the next couple of hours shows us how to use Cut.

"Now you two are experts in this move. Use it help you on your journey. Feel free to share it with someone else but remember how hard you worked here today to get this Skill or you won't be able to teach it well."

I call Green about the tie with Blue and private instruction.

"Awesome! Congrats!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing you soon. I'll…"

"What was that!?"

"What?"

"AAAAAAAAHH!"

"WHAT!? What is it?"

Blue and the captain see my concern and wait for me to say something.

"It's Green. Something happened to Green."


	8. Vermillion and Celadon City

13

A few minutes go by and Green finally texts me.

"Sorry about that! Let me call you back in a little bit."

"What happened? Are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm OK. I'll call you later."

I stare at the phone and feel somewhere between afraid and angry. What happened? Why didn't she just answer me? How long is later?

"Yo, Red, what's a matter with you?" Blue asks.

"It sounded like Green was attacked by something on the phone. I tried to ask her about it, but she texted me saying she would call me later. I just don't know what to feel right now."

"Oh, geez. Hey Red, chill man. If she says she is OK, she IS OK! I know Green may be cute, but she isn't a wimp ya know! I saw her take on Misty, and she had the trained eyes of a killer. Plus think about it. If you were in a burning house and someone called, you probably wouldn't want to talk to anyone right there and then. You'd be like 'uh, dude, I'll have to chat with you later!'"

"OK, maybe you're right, but then is she in the burning building or just busy? I just hope she's OK."

Instead of saying something, Blue pats me on the back and steps back before pointing his thumb up as in "let's go back up stairs." I nod and follow him up the steps. Along the way, we receive some cheers from the others on the boat. Some of them fought with us, but many more are just random passengers. We hear our names mentioned over the PA and fill quite proud with ourselves.

"I guess you two are celebrities now!"

At the top of the stairs is Daisy wearing a green bathing suit under a white sarong. Not only does her sudden presence startle me, but the outfit shows off her figure and I find myself trying not to stare and yet trying not to trip either. The closer I get though the clearer she becomes. I try to smile and look her in eyes when she reaches to give me a hug and brings her chest against mine.

"Hi…Daisy!" I force out the words.

"You guys," she starts as she lets me go. "This is pretty cool, but our trip is nearly over. We'll be back in Vermillion City tomorrow morning. I hope you all had a great time."

"It was pure heaven sis, but let's never do this again," Blue responds.

We all nod and laugh before heading back to our rooms. That night we eat a nice meal with each other and dive into some deep sleep when the day ends. At least that's true for Blue and Daisy. I find myself falling asleep and waking back up all night.

When Green finally texts me right before midnight, I see the phone light up and stumble out of bed. It's loud, but Blue seems too far asleep to notice. When I check the phone, several messages come flooding in from her. Apparently there is no service in Memorial Tower or Rock Tunnel which is where she has been for hours.

"Are you OK?"

"Yes, I'm fine now that I'm out of that tunnel. I didn't have much signal in there and didn't want my phone to do so I turned it on Airplane mode to save energy. I used my phone light to get back, but let me tell you, it was so stressful. I thought I'd never get out. Ha ha!"

"Well next time, don't scare me like that! Why did you scream earlier?"

"I am sorry, Red. I didn't mean to make your worry. I ran into some sort of Ghost Pokémon in the tower. Apparently they have been acting up ever since Team Rocket showed up here a couple of weeks ago. One flew right through me! But I'm OK, I swear, and now I'm safe in a pod back in Cerulean City. I'll head back to Vermillion City after breakfast."

"OK good."

"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow!"

"Yes, me, too!" I text though in my head I imagine Green here in the bed next to me in the covers and not miles away.

We text each other good night, and I put my phone away. Blue has been out cold and doesn't stir as I set the phone down and get back in bed. Within minutes I can fall asleep.

The next morning, we pack our belongings up and make our way to the dining room. Most of the guests are here to get a complimentary breakfast like us before the boat docks. We grab some good eats and cram them down so we can escape and get back outside for some fresh air hopefully before everyone else does. When we come back out to the deck, we can see Vermillion City in front of us.

We wait a few more minutes and the steam ship docks. As I grab my things and make my way down to the docks, I see familiar face.

"Yellow!" Daisy yells form behind me.

"Hey pretty lady!" he replies. She runs to him, and the two embrace and kiss for just a little too long for comfort. I look around us hoping that Green is there, but it's still too early. I want to see her, but honestly after her night I won't mind if she sleeps in and gets well rested first. Just as I'm about to say something to Yellow and Daisy, I notice someone looking right at me in the crowd. Erica? But I blink and look back, and she's gone. Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me.

"Sorry everyone, but I have to get Daisy back home," Yellow s.

"Ah but Yellow, I thought this time you would talk things over with your Dad," Daisy says. I notice Yellow tighten his face for a second.

"Ah that's OK. I don't need any condescending talk from him this morning honey. Ha ha!"

"Who is your Dad?" I ask.

"My Dad is good old Lieutenant Adam Matis, or as most people refer to him, Lieutenant Surge! Yeah, good luck getting a belt today if that's your plan. Dad is tough as nails and about as nice as some."

Before we can say anything more, Yellow gives us a smile and peace sign and flies off holding Daisy to his chest.

"Whoa! I gotta learn how to do that," Blue says.

"Yeah, cool huh! And to think his Dad is the Vermillion City Gym Leader," I add. It is cool, but there is something about Yellow I don't like. It's not just that he was secretly dating Daisy, but there is something else about him. I didn't mention that I was going to gym once I got back though Daisy could have told him I guess. He just always seems to know about my story before I do. Weird!

We head straight for the gym which is actually close to the docks, but when we get close we run into a problem. A large tree has fallen into the streets and is blocking the way.

"What now?" Blue groans.

"I got this!" I say and run towards the tree. Can I do it?

CUT!

I swing my hand up into the sky and back down causing the tree to split into three parts. I kick the middle part forward leaving a gap for us to walk through. A few people walking by clap, and Blue stops to bow a few times as if he did something and gives me a wink.

"Nice!" he whispers to me.

When we get inside of the gym, there are several trainers sparring already even though it's so early. Many of them wear fatigues like soldiers do, but are these people actual soldiers? When I look closer, I see the Thunder logo on their shirts. It's not military; it's branding!

"These guys aren't real soldiers. They have outfits on," I whisper to Blue. He nods.

"Oh, and what qualifies as a real solider to you son?"

I turn around and see him. I know its Lt. Surge, the muscular man in combat boots and camo pants with bright blonde hair and aviators on. He pulls them down as he gets close to my face. I feel a gulp in my throat.

"Wait, do I know you kids?"

"I don't think so."

"No, I know you or maybe you look like someone…"

"My name is Red," I interrupt. "This is Blue and…"

"Ah, your fathers were in the war right? Himura and Mizushima!"

"Yes!" Blue says looking very excited.

"Cool, you know I heard a lot about both of them. I even met Mizushima once. Yellow Unit had to disperse some supplies to Blue Unit in a valley in Unova, and he and I talked about you and...Daisy was it?"

"That's my sister!"

"Ah knew it! I'm a better man for fighting alongside guys like your fathers and Hayashi, too, for that matter. Your female friend was here the other day. Leaf, I think."

"Her name is Green," I reply.

"You're the first person I've heard talk about serving with my father…Well you and this guy named Looker from…"

"…the International Police. Yeah, know him, too, and his real name. But I have to keep it a secret. Ha ha! Yeah, those guys are out to do some good, I only wish they weren't so cloak and dagger. A man should be out in the open with his intentions, speak his mind, and do what he does with all his might. I'm afraid that my son has got caught up in their antics."

"Yellow?"

"Ah, you know him?"

"Yes, he…well we just saw him this morning, but he couldn't stay. He had to take my sister back to Pallet Town," Blue says.

"What? My boy was here in Vermillion City!"

"Yes, didn't you just see him?" I ask.

"What? No, I haven't laid eyes on him for three years. Was he actually here?"

"…He was. He made it sound like you two don't get along."

"It's true," Surge says seeming deep in thought. "We've never gotten along since the war ended."

"But then…why did he take the color of your unit as his name? We did that out of reverence for our fathers."

"He didn't take the name Yellow out of respect for me at all. I was in Yellow Unit, yes, and I fought for my country, but so was Joan."

"Joan?" We both say looking at each other.

"We were starting to get comfortable in Yellow Unit," Surge explains. "No combat for days, and we just had to basically sit tight and wait in further orders. One night the enemy took us by surprise. Guns and bombs everywhere! We sustained significant damage to our base and had to relocate. They attacked combatants and noncombatants alike. She…Joan died, and Yellow blamed me for her death," he says. I can see his eyes start to water.

"Was that your wife? Joan Matis." Blue asks.

"Yes, she was not actually a soldier but a medic at the base when that bomb hit. We truly never saw it coming. I came home mad and hurt and said things I regret. I went to America for a few months and spent time with some cousins."

"You're originally from America right?"

"The Lightning American! So you've heard of my nickname, well that's right, but home has always been here for me. I moved here as a boy and never thought about going back to stay. Anyway after the war, I wanted to toughen up the people of Kanto for the day that evil strikes again. I wanted to keep what happened to Joan from every happening again and so did Yellow but he went another direction."

"Why is that?" I ask.

"After the war, it was deemed unhealthy to discuss the war by people in power so a lot of reports and files were locked away. People don't trust those who are not out right and honest. It makes you worry about things even if nothing is wrong. I feel true same way, but I have to respect what the Champion decrees."

"The Champion ordered a cover up in the war?" I ask.

"Is that why teachers don't always explain things in history books when you ask them?" Blue asks.

"That's right! Whatever is put in the taboo box is meant to be left alone, undisturbed, but don't panic! The Champion has agreed to let the successor do as he pleases with the knowledge. He hopes that by the time he steps down the truth will no longer be so painful."

"Step down? But he just made that decision for everyone else?"

"You're right to ask these things. I didn't and my son hated that and that's what got him into the International Police. I respect what my son is doing, but he has to realize I'm not the enemy and neither is the Champion. Men started that war, and men ended it. We all have to check our vices at the ends of the day. We have to pay for our crimes, yes, and I think we have. War is terrible for everyone involved. But I will say, one man that took a detour was in the Silver Unit, Kami Sakaki. If you see him, he is bad news!"

"Really?" I ask. "Why do you say that? What does this Sakaki guy look like?"

Surge doesn't answer and instead points to a TV on the wall. The screen flashes with headlines about Team Rocket. Burglaries, fires, and bombings have been happening in Saffron City but now they are spreading to cities across Kanto.

"Team Rocket!" Blue yells.

"That's right. IP has been following their movements, and it all comes back to him. Team Rocket has exploded, and it will be hard to find him, but we have to work together or things will only get worse."

We all agree and tell Surge our plans to get the Thunder Belt and fight Team Rocket.

"OK then, I won't hold you up talking any longer. Red why don't you go first. Then Blue, I'd like to talk with you afterword if that's OK."

I look to Blue who gives a solemn nod then nod myself.

I step onto a metallic platform with blinking lights and cables around the edge. When Surge joins me, I notice his boots and gloves are made of something thick and rubbery. He has grounded himself probably with Evertone clothes. Why?

I rush to Tackle Surge, but he raises a hand to the sky, and a Thunderbolt appears in the air and strikes me.

"Aaaaahhhhh!"

I crumple to the floor as a current courses through me like someone is shaking me vigorously. This is like the Thundershock from that Pikachu only much stronger.

When I finally start to get my bearings, Surge splits into two!

"What?"

I watch in amazement as two Lt. Surges stand in front of me. When I try to hit one, they both move in unison. It's some sort of after image effect. I chase them around the platform and finally reach one Surge, but my hand goes right through it. The fake one vanishes, and I turn just in time to see the real Surge raises a hand to the sky.

"Thunder!" he yells.

BOOOM!

I feel my body tremble as another attack hits and my Gyrados Skill fails. While transitioning to my next Skill, Surge gets one more Quick Attack on me knocking me down. I bite my lip when I hit the floor and Surge rushes me, but before he can strike again I throw Poisonstings his way and fall in my face to catch a breath.

I look up and see him stop and grab at the needles then I use the opportunity to keep forming and throwing more needles. Where do these come from anyway? No time to think, attack!

Crack!

I watch as one of Lt. Surge's Element Skills break and rush towards him for a Doublekick. He takes the hit hard, but I get shocked when I make contact with him. Falling to the floor, I feel a pain course through my body.

At first I feel angry then I notice I can't move at all. I'm paralyzed!

I have no choice but to transition once more and take yet another Thunderbolt.

Booom!

"Owww!"

When Surge gets close to me, I'm ready. I unleash Embers at him making him cover up his body with his arms. He lifts a hand once more to send an electric attack.

"Oooooow!" I cry. I'm in so much pain all over. This shocking feeling is new and unusual to me.

Surge is holding his arms, and I can see steam rising from his skin. We're both out of breath, but I can tell he the burns are distracting him.

He tries to rush me once more, but I'm ready to Scratch.

Crack!

Surge crumples to the ground, and stays there. I fall down to my knees to take a breath and look up to the wall. Both of Surge's dots or skills have broken. I won! The spectators all clap and cheer me on.

"Nice job man!" Blue yells.

"Red!"

I look to the door of the gym and see Green holding her hands up and smiling bright like the sun. She runs to me and drops to my side, wrapping her arms around me in a tight squeeze.

"Ow! Easy!"

I reach out to her with my hand and place it on her cheek. She grabs my hand and kisses it then kisses me on the forehead.

"Sorry," she whispers. "Are you OK?"

"I'm better now that you're here. How about you?"

"I'm just fine."

"I'm glad...you know I barely won this fight and...I forgot. I just know I missed you."

"I missed you, too."

"Hey Green, nice to see you, too!" Blue groans.

I forgot he was even there. We both nervously get to our feet and step back from each other. I feel Green hesitate as she lets go of my hand.

"Oh! I'm sorry Blue," she says and gives him a hug.

"Yeah, yeah, OK! I'm happy you're back."

She turns around and comes back to me with a big smile on her face. I can smell her hair and that familiar perfume. She takes my hand and electricity goes through me though this time it isn't the kind that hurts.

"Let's get you fixed up," she says and walks me over to a recovery bed. As I sit down on one, she dusts off my hair and face then steps back. I get in one and in minutes I'm feeling completely restored.

"Nice work Red!" Lt. Surge says as gets himself gets out of another recovery bed across from me.

We both stand before one another and bow. A man walks up to me and presents me with the Thunder Belt. A Thunderbolt shimmers under the overhead lights, distinguishing my newest trophy from the previous two.

"Blue, if you don't mind, give me a few minutes, and I'll be ready to fight you next."

"Awesome!" Blue replies.

We watch as the Gym Leader and some others walk off. Green turns to us with a concerned look once they are out of earshot.

"OK, since we have a minute, can I tell you about Lavender Town?"

"Yes!" I answer for both of us.

"OK. First of all, the roads around here all have something going it seems. You may know this, but Saffron City is under a sort of quarantine or something so you have to travel around it. Also, to make matters worse, the explosions apparently startled these beasts to come out of the mountains, and now they're in the way as well."

"You mean the Snorlax? It's kind of like a big sleeping bear thing, right?" I ask.

"That's right. It just happens to be really big and way too heavy for anyone to move. I heard that one blocks our path to the east on Route 12, but there is another one out west as well. I think it's on Route 16. Apparently nothing wakes them up, but if you DO wake one up, it will try to kill you!"

"What!?" Blue yells. "And there's two of those things walking around?"

"But that's not all! I followed some members of Team Rocket out of town. They didn't see me, but they're up to something. I just know it!"

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"They have been doing something in Memorial Tower in Lavender Town. I think something bad."

"Wait! How did you get all the way over there? I mean to get to Lavender Town you would have to go east throwing Routes 11 and 12 to get to Lavender Town."

"Right! I tried that then went back north to Cerulean City and east through Route 9 and then through the Rock Tunnel."

"Isn't that the long way?"

"WELL BLUE, I DID HAVE A LOT OF FREE TIME THIS WEEK!"

"Oh...right," he says.

We…I feel bad about her not getting to come on the cruise.

"It's OK. I'm over it."

"Hey, Memorial Tower!" I say suddenly realizing it. "That's where they buried the dead from the Big War! My father is buried there. Why didn't you tell me right away!? I can't let Team Rocket get away with whatever they're doing near his grave!" I say excitedly.

Green puts a hand to my chest as I start to head for the door.

"Because I knew you'd feel this way. I wanted you to focus on your match and tell you as soon as you won!"

"Gee thanks Green, I mean it's not like my parents died or anything, too!" Blue grumbles.

"Oh…I'm sorry Blue! I…"

"Don't worry about it! I'm not as moody as Hero over here," he replies rolling his eyes. I can't tell if he's being serious or not. I'm less moody, right? Blue is definitely bothered by Team Rocket, too.

"Look guys, I'm sorry. I…Team Rocket. They did something. The Ghost Pokémon have been acting erratically at the tower. People have gotten hurt or gone missing!"

"Missing?"

"Yes, a girl told me her father went missing. He was working on some big project, and well I think Team Rocket is keeping him in the tower."

"Well then let's go! What are we…" I start to say.

I stop myself when I happen to see some people passing by in front of the gym. Blue and Green look with me as two men with "R" on their shirts throw on big jackets to cover up their outfits.

Coming up behind them is Erica in her kimono. The boys seem to be laughing about something, and I can see a faint smile on Erica's face, but she doesn't seem too happy. Is she with them?

"I don't believe it! She is one of them. Erica works for Team Rocket!" Blue whispers to us.

"Looks that way, but are you sure? Where do you think are they going?" I ask.

"I don't know, but we should follow them!" Green adds.

Just as we start to head for the door, Lt. Surge and his posse return.

"Actually…you guys go on ahead! I better get this belt and catch up with you later!" Blue blurts out.

"Oh…is something wrong?" Surge asks.

"Oh nothing," Blue says. "I mean I just realized that I will probably be at a disadvantage since I have a Water type Skill and a Flying one, too, and you clearly use Electric types which my skills will be weak against, but that's all."

What is Blue doing? Shouldn't we tell Surge about Erica and the two Grunts outside? I'll try to play along.

"Oh, that is true!" I say. "You just one Skill that won't have a type advantage. Plus I know you talked about how you wanted to ask Surge more shot your Dad."

"Yeah!" Blue says rolling his eyes at me. " I did say that and oh I forgot...these two love birds haven't seen each other for a week and wanted to get some time together so might as well go now…" he leans forward and whispers in my ear, "before they get away."

I nod and notice Green covering her red face out of the corner of my eye. She takes my hand, but I hesitate.

"Go!" He insists. Ok, fine! We both nod and turn to leave.

"Well we better hurry then," Green says. "Enjoy talking with the Lieutenant about your Dad, Blue! Bye everyone!" Green says.

I see Blue smirk then wave bye.

14

We wave back and run outside to catch up with the trio and find them headed north towards Saffron City. Green motions for me to keep quiet by bringing a finger to her lips with her left hand. I notice that has the other hand wrapped around mine still and giver her hand a gentle squeeze. If only we were on a date and not stalking some bad guys!

We try to stay about a block away from them so that they don't notice us on the route and successfully get all the way to the gate when they stop.

Green and I duck into some tall grass as a guard walks out to them. One Rocket member hands him a bag, and the guard simply walks off, leaving the building presumably open for anyone to get in. We wait a minute then run up to the gatehouse, pass through and enter Saffron City.

Once we enter town, all I notice at first are the scorched buildings. Construction workers are everywhere using loud machinery to make repairs to the roads. Everyone else in town seems to be too busy getting somewhere or too used to seeing the damage to notice or care.

Our trio is off to the left so we hasten to catch up to them. They lead us to the west edge of town towards Celadon City. When we get to the west gatehouse, it's vacant. The trio passes through, and we follow close behind. Once we make it onto Route 7, Erica looks over her shoulder to the left and then the right before turning back and seeing us.

We both freeze in place. Caught! Erica gives us a concerned look and motions for us to go away but doesn't say anything to her party. The two guys in front don't notice the exchange between us. She finally turns around and keeps walking.

"Red, what do you think is going on?" Green whispers.

"She isn't one of them it seems or she is but hasn't made up her mind. I'm not sure."

"You're right! This isn't what it seems. We need to find out what's going on."

I nod, and we follow them all the way to Celadon City, but when we get to town we quickly lose them in the crowds. There are simply too many people. I look in every direction.

The Rocket Grunts as I call them were in normal clothes, but Erica was in a kimono so…I see her walk by with a small group of men and women behind her.

"There she is!" I say pointing her out to Green.

We fall into line behind the group and follow them to the west side of town. I start to since something is wrong though when I look closely at Erica's face. Unlike just before, she seems very jovial and her voice even sounds just a notch higher.

"Is this an act? Is she pretending to be someone else right now?" I ask.

"Maybe but look!"

We arrive at the Celadon City Gym and watch as Erica and the group walk in the front door. If it is her, she is too real for to me tell. Could there really be two Erica's like Blue was suggesting?

"I don't want to face two Gym Leaders back to back and want Blue here with us. Can we maybe let him know what happened and then stick around town until he gets here?" I ask.

"We let her go then? I guess we know we saw her come into Celadon City and possibly this building. We can try again later. I guess since we're here we might as well make the most of it! How do you feel about takin me shopping?" she asks sliding a hand over my chest before grabbing my arm. "Come on!"

"I guess I don't have a choice, but I was going to say yes just so you know!"

"Well then let's go already!" Green says and takes my hand.

I follow her down the street towards the busiest part of town, The Strip. The Strip is sort of famous in Kanto as the place where everyone goes for well everything. There are apparel and other shops all stacked on top of each other not to mention a couple of theaters for the latest plays. Some of the shows that come on TV are shot and filmed here live. I don't follow celebrities that much but apparently they frequent this area, too.

I feel a bit overwhelmed in the crowd and even sick as people bump up against me over and over again. My only solace is holding on to Green's hand as she directs us toward a nearby store.

When we get inside, I get a chance to take a deep breath and feel slightly better though it's still crammed in here, too. The clothing store is one I don't recognize, but I notice signs in the back saying "Evertone."

"Sweet!" I exclaim.

We walk back to the clothes of choice and agree to try on some clothes then walk it into the middle for the other person to see and give feedback. I have a swimsuit tucked into my bag, but I could really use some clothes to wear on solid ground with Evertone. I find several nice looking dress shirts and pants and hesitate to grab them then pick up an ensemble like my current one but made of Evertone. I stares at some jeans in the Big's section when Green says "Don't be stingy now. This is part for fun!"

I pick the jeans up and the grab a nice purple dress shirt. Green reaches out and touches it.

"Oh, it's nice Red! Try it on! Hmm, I wonder if I can find a matching color," she says and runs off.

I grab the shirt and find a nice pair of black slacks and shiny shoes to go with them and make a nice outfit. Then I find a black t-shirt and some new sneakers that go with the jeans before turning to look for the changing rooms.

When I pass into the hall for the dressing room, I notice they are connected to the other side of the building. I see Green coming towards me with a bunch of outfits. She rushes into a dressing room and shuts the door. I take the dressing room open next to her. As I start putting on my clothes, I wonder how I ended up shopping for nice clothes today instead of fighting or training or something.

"This IS Evertone right?" I ask looking at my purple shirt. "I mean I could fight in if I needed to?"

"Sure could though, I hope you won't do that ha ha! I was hoping we could…oh hold on."

"We could what?"

"OK, found these leggings. Want to see?"

"Yes!"

I stop and pop my head back out since I don't have a shirt on yet. She comes out wearing her regular skirt but with green shirt and black leggings that high her legs. Though she actually covered up more skin, this is somehow just as hot to look at.

"Whoa! I like it!"

"Yeah? I want some kind of cover for fighting, ha ha. These leggings are Evertone but what's great is now I can actually move more when I fight! Ugh, why didn't I think of this sooner? What you wearing there?"

"Oh! I wasn't done changing."

She steps toward me and says quietly, "Red, don't let everyone see those muscles! I want them all to myself."

I smile and dart back into the changing room and shut the door.

"Ha ha! OK, shall we try dressy clothes now? Actually put your clothes on this time!"

"Right!"

I double check the regular clothes first and confirm they fit while Green goes through several outfits next door.

"Ugh! Too tight! Too loose around the arms! Oh, this looks terrible on me ha ha!"

"No luck?"

"Oh my gosh! This one! OK, did you find something? Are you ready?"

"Yes," I say looking at the mirror.  
I've removed my normal clothes and smoothed over my hair to it the dressy look. The shirt sort of shimmers in the light and the pants have a reflective stripe that goes down the length of the leg to my shoes. It takes me the longest time to the get the buttons on my wrists down, but finally I get them in place and step out as Green opens her door.

Green comes out in a sparkling purple cocktail dress with a black belt and matching black heels. The dress ends just past her knees showing her lower legs. The top forms a "V" around her neck and covers her shoulders and showing her arms. As she turns for me, I admire how the dress hugs her hips and bosom. The back has an opening shaped like a diamond, and I notice she has a white flower pin in her hair.

"Red, you look so handsome! Great job!"

"Thank you!"

"OK. OK. Well what do you think?"

"Oh my gosh!"

"What is it? You don't like it!"

"Like it? I love it! You look so hot, I mean so nice!" I say and pull her close.

"Tell me what did you want? You didn't finish what you were going to say."

"I can't say it. YOU are supposed to ask me."

"What to get married?" I ask.

"Married!? No, I mean a date first might be nice!"

"Oh…Oh! Ha ha of course!" We both have the most intense looks on our faces for a second then relax and start laughing.

I pull Green into my arms and feel her against my body. She looks into my eyes, and I want to kiss her. I feel it so suddenly, and I pull her closer to me, but just as I am about to plant the kiss, an attendant barges in.

"Can I help you with anything today?"

We both pull away from each other instantly. Feeling quite annoyed, I stifle the desire to yell and respond simply, "no thanks."

The lady walks past us and starts grabbing up clothes left in a nearby changing room. I look back at Green who has the biggest smile on her face.

"What?"

"Oh nothing!" she says and runs back into her changing room and shuts the door behind her. I can get some rustling like she is changing again.

"So you liked that dress right or no?"

"I did," I answer over the top of her door.

"And it fit OK?"

"Yes, it looked great on you. It was incredible."

I hear the door turning and take a step back. Green steps out in a bright blue dress with pictures of fish and sea life all over it. It sort of looks like what I imagine the ocean looks like with Goldeen, Horsea, Shellder, and Magikarp everywhere.

"You wouldn't say that about everything I put on would you?" Green asks.

"I…I want to, but I just can't say it this time," I reply.

We both laugh.

"Good, so you can at least give me honest feedback," she says giving a playful twirl.

"It's pretty bad! But you kind of make it work."

I reach out and take her hand.

"Can I ask you an honest question?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to go out on a date with me sometime?"

"Ha!" Green snorts and spins around in another twirl.

"What? That wasn't a joke!"

"Oh, right you're serious aren't you?"

"So you don't want to go out with me then?"

Green stops twirling and grabs both of my hands.

"Red, have you ever asked a girl out on a date? You haven't have you?"

"No, I mean…"

"Hey that's OK. I mean I haven't been on any real dates you know. It's OK, but you just got to be a little smoother about it. You have to be confident and think things through when you want tell or ask someone something especially a girl you like."

"I'm listening."

"Good! Repeat after me. 'Green, would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?'"

"Green, would you like to go out to dinner with me tonight?" I repeat.

"Ah, Red, thank you! I would love to go! Where are we going? What time? What should I wear?"

"Uhhhh. OK. Um, could you wear that other dress you had on?"

"Not this one?" Green asks implying the fish pattern dress and making a silly face.

"No, ha ha! I want to take you somewhere nice. I don't know where, I mean I've never been to Celadon before, but I'll find the nicest place here and take you there. What do you think about 7:00?"

"7:00 sounds great!"

Green leans close to my face and whispers in my ear, "You did great!" before running back into her changing room. Man! What a woman!

I go back and change into my regular clothes myself, and we go to check out.

After leaving this store, we decide to stop for lunch. Once we sit down, a text from Blue lets us know he got his Thunder Belt and is on his way to Celadon City. Green does her best to explain how we got here to him by text and does a good job but unfortunately for Blue, the guards have returned to their posts and won't let him through no matter what he says. He tells us he plans to train nearby and wait and see if the path opens up for him later.

After finishing lunch, Green and I continue shopping. We stock up on various items we've had like Potions and Antidotes then get some new things like a Revive which will restore one do your skills to use in the middle of battle. There are also stronger versions of Element Crystals called Great Crystals which make it easier to take a skill from stronger Pokémon. But most importantly, we find something called a Bill Box. It's named after the same person that made Evertone popular and got me on the cruise or was that his relative? Ugh, I can't keep them straight.

The Bill Box is quite impressive! One simply takes a Bill Box which is about the size of a ring box and clicks the button on the side then throws it down on the floor. The box will land on the ground, glow, and expand into a 6' tall metal wardrobe! There are other versions which can change into smaller or bigger containers, but the ORIGINAL Bill Box is plenty big and also on sale! We both get one and decide we can throw all of our things in them. It's nice to be able to put everything you don't need into a tiny box, but there's something I don't get about this device. It shrinks, yes, and that is crazy enough, but how does it remain so light? Wouldn't the box be super heavy after you put it everything it?

"What's wrong?" Green asks.

"How does this thing work? Is Bill a magician or something?"

"You believe in magic?"

"Not really! I think there is some reason or science behind this thing, but it's not obvious to me."

"Hmmm…oh, here you go," Green says handing me a pamphlet about the local library. "Maybe you could go there and find some answers."

"Sure let's go!"

"Oh, you want me to go? I mean I don't care that much about the box or anything."

"What do you want to do?"

"I'd like to maybe walk around town. Maybe check the part he outsider town and find a new Element Skill."

I know that we just spent a lot of time with each other, and the plan is to go out again tonight, so maybe some time apart won't hurt. I agree to meet up with her later and we part ways.

I make my way off the Strip and over to the Myamoto Public Library. It's quite an old and rustic building but beautiful in its own right. When I get inside, it's clear the owner has a fascination for fantasy and nature as all of the walls are decorated with paintings of fairies and mythical beasts. A giant dragon hangs from tiny strings over the center of the main room.

I don't walk into the nonfiction section and pass through a few aisles before finding a book on a shelf with Bill's picture on the cover. At first I'm excited then, I notice the author and feel my heart stop. The he book says, "Doctor Samuel Oak. Like Professor Oak? He is an online teacher now, but he used to do research.

This book…he and Bill, the grandfather that is…they worked together. They were inventors in Johto and did projects on physics, space, time, and later Element Skills the book mentions but to be honest I didn't know that he did all that stuff. I thought he just knew about Pokémon and Element Skills.

I flip my through some more pages and find a section on the Bill Box. They have it listed as a future project in this book under a section about space travel. Space travel? They went to space?

I don't know. I don't understand this physics talk. I…well I think I should tell someone about my encounter with Bill.

I start to text Green and Blue but catch myself. Blue is training and Green wants some space. I'll keep the story to myself for now. All I can think is that the strange guy I met near Cerulean City must have some connection to Blue's grandfather. Does Blue know about Bill working with Oak? I pull out different books and start to see some pieces coming together.

A group of men worked on many projects together on Cinnabar Island until the volcano went off then the team changed a few times and ultimately fell apart sometime after the war ended. I don't recognize these names, but I'll have to show Blue once he gets to town and has a minute.

I decide that I've had enough reading about things I don't know and head up front to look at the magazines. I skip over different sections not really finding anything of interest.

"You shouldn't have come here, Red," says a voice behind me in a whisper. I start to turn around, but she puts her hands on my shoulders from behind and says, "It's me."

"Erica?"

I try to be still as she walks around to face me. I see fear in her eyes for a second before she forces a smile.

"Um…yes. Red, please don't stay here. They will come after you. I don't want anyone else to get hurt.

"Anyone else?" I ask.

"ERIKA!"

"OH MY GOSH! IT'S ERIKA!"

I turn around and see young girls running up to meet Erica and get her autograph. She looks at them all and laughs and smiles and looks sincere in her act, but I know something is off, and it's all Team Rocket's fault.

"I'm going to find them and stop them," I mutter in her ear as I pass by her.

"Giovanni's!"

"What?"

I stop and turn around to confirm she said something to me.

"You want to go somewhere nice tonight right? Go to Giovanni's nicest club in town, but it the food there is HOT. Be careful!" she says and points to a window. I don't feel good about this. We're we following Team Rocket today or did they follow us?

I finally look out the window and see a fancy looking building just across the street. The sign reading "Giovanni's" is off to the right of it.

"How good is it?" I ask.

"It's a blast!" Erica says making a Rocket motion with her hands. I see her give a fake smile to her audience but just so briefly she gives me a serious look. That's where Team Rocket is! I wave at Erica and turn to leave the library. I text Green and Blue and let them mow what I was just told.

"Red," Green texts me. "We have to go there!"

"I'm coming, too!" Blue responds.

"OK! Tonight we dine at Giovanni's!"

Our date just might have to wait.


	9. Giovanni's (Rocket HQ)

15

The sun starts to set in the west, and a pale orange glare hits the exterior of Giovanni's. The club is only a few stories tall but looks quite wide from the outside. A white, modern building with pointy ceilings and window walls, this place definitely fits in well with vibe of Celadon City.

Erica or is it Erika? She just told me that this is where Team Rocket went, but I can't believe it. Aren't the bad guys supposed to live inside a cave or a dungeon or something? I have put my dress clothes back on from earlier, the black pants and purple shirt.  
As I think about hunting down Team Rocket in this fancy club, I can't help but imagine I am character in a spy movie. I'm at the casino and soon I will meet the arch villain for a game of poker or rummy. Afterword I'll follow him to his secret lair. Someone will track my location with global positioning system and try to give me instructions. Sometimes I'll listen, but other times I'll improvise. Ah, wouldn't that be cool!

But my imagination can't blot out how I feel at the moment. I don't know anything about gambling or how to look cool investigating people. Can people tell why I'm here? Do they think I'm just some weird stalker?

I have this lump in my throat, sweat on my brow, and the fear that people walking by will catch me at any moment. As they pass, I imagine them staring me down and reporting me as a suspicious person to the police. I can see myself pleading my cause before a judge, "I was only trying to stop the bad guys! I'm on your side!"

"Red? Are you ready?"

Green walks up to me from the crowd, and my nervous stupor quiets down for a moment. She has on her purple gown from earlier. The street lights make her flower hair piece reflect the colors of the rainbow. She has put on some make up and red lip stick to highlight the finer features of her face. I drink in the look that is Green like a strong beverage and realize my mouth has opened and quickly shut it.

My date smiles and offers me her hand, and as she gets close to me, I can smell a new perfume in her, a blend of pine and cinnamon. Mmm!

For a moment, I lose myself in the moment than remember where I am. Why did I agree to come to this place? I shouldn't have looked into Team Rocket tonight.  
Green will feel like second best and probably never date me again. Way to blow it Red!

"I am really sorry. I wish we didn't have to be here tonight."

"Huh? Are you saying you want to cancel the date?"

"What! No, that's what I meant. What I'm trying to say is I wish I had not run into Erica this afternoon. I wish we would have had the chance to go on a date first and worry about Team Rocket later."

"Well I agree with you on that. I guess you and I just have to chase Team Rocket like a dog chases cats. Ha ha! But I wouldn't worry about it, I mean look at this place! She didn't point at some creepy warehouse. This looks like an amazing place to have some fun. And seriously we will be lucky if we can find those two guys. It's so big...well what do you think? Do you still want to go?"

"I do! I really do! I just wish I had heard about this after our date? You won't be upset with me for messing up tonight?"

"You didn't mess up tonight. This is STILL our date."

She wraps her arms around, and I feel her body press against mine. God, she is so beautiful! I want to kiss her right here, right now.

"HEY GUYS! The door is this way!"

A wild and annoying ruckus in khakis and a blue shirt trounces by us. Feeling violated from the clanging of his voice, I glare at Blue trotting by and try to burn a hole in the back of his head with my eyes. The fact that he doesn't seem bothered by his interruption somehow makes me only angrier.

"Whatever, let's go."

Green and I pull back from one another with a sigh.

"Yeah, hey Green, have you ever been to a place like this on a date?"

I guide her in the door and let a hostess know we're here to eat. She grabs some menus and starts walking us back.

"No! Ha ha. I mean look at this place. Are you kidding me?"

As we walk to our table, we pass aisles of slot machines, a fully stocked bar, no two bars, three! Then I see a man-sized chess board and a stage in the center of the room with Elvis Presley impersonators.

"Whoa! Look at that?"

"I don't believe it!"

The lady seats us at a table a few rows back from the stage on the right and close to a water fountain that stands up to the second floor. People up stairs look over the balcony down at the top of the fountain but it's just far enough away they can't touch any of the water.

"So I'm doing pretty well for a first date then?"

"Oh Red, of course! I mean don't be silly. I'm not exactly dating all the time or anything. I spent all of my time studying or helping my mother around the house. You know, this will only be my fourth date?"

"What?"

"Yes, I went out once, well sort of, with a guy named Ben Ryoshi then two dates with David Kishoi. I guess he was sort of like a boyfriend but not really. That's it."

"Ah wow, I mean I don't remember seeing you dating anyone while we were in school come to think of it, but I just figured you must have been dating. Well so you got to tell me what happened. On the dates I mean."

"GOOD EVENING! Can I take you drink orders?"

The waitress comes up to our table with the friendliest face yet she still manages to startle me. Green giggles at me and when I look at her she tries to hide her smile behind a hand.

We both order waters but don't even check the menu when she leaves. I think I'm hungry but just have to hear a little more.

"OK, so let's see. Ben's dad knew my dad, and they would go fishing together. I liked fishing and so did Ben so he asked me to go out fishing with him once. Not really a date I guess. I thought the idea was really cool and got very excited, but nothing happened. I mean we fished and talked about fish. It was nice, but there was no spark. I saw him many times more but never alone."

"And David?"

"Yes, David was different. David was a boy I actually had a crush on in high school. He came up to me in class one day and talked to me. David asked me out so of course I said 'yes!' We went to west Pallet and got ice cream at Scoopy's."

"NICE!"

"Right? It was nice. We had a good time. I mean there was this cute boy from soccer team, and for some reason he wanted k be on a date with me! All the way back home, he held my hand and told me how pretty I was, and I felt really good most of the night. That is until we got back to my front door, and he tried to kiss me before the date ended."

"Kiss you?"

"Yes, I hadn't been kissed before, and here is this guy springing it on me like a trap! He was forceful and didn't have the best breath. I felt like he was trying to eat my mouth!"

"Oh how awful! Wait a second! So no kiss before that...so that means that David was…"

"Oh don't say it!"

"…your first kiss?"

She looks down at the table seeming quite defeated and nods just enough that I barely notice it.

The waitress comes back and  
asks what we want to eat. I haven't looked at the menu and neither has Green. We pop ours open frantically and as the waitress is about to say something about coming back we say "yes!" a little too emphatically. She leaves, and a silence comes back over us.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to poke a bruise."

"It's OK. I just haven't really talked to anyone about it other than my mom."

"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been on a date or...kissed anyone...like that."

Green is looking at me curiously now. I can't tell what she is thinking. Is that a smirk forming on her face? Is she blushing? Stupid! Why did you say that? Say something Red!

"I mean technically in elementary school this girl named Lulu came up to me and kissed me in the hallway. I was so confused! I thought for a minute that we were going to get married or something, but it was just some stupid dare her friends put her up to."

"Ha ha ha! That's so cute! But you didn't marry her, right?"

She smiles and I feel the tension in my body start to melt like butter on warm bread.

"No! It wasn't meant to be."

She laughs and grabs my hand. Electricity courses through me. I watch quietly as she rubs her thumb gently over my knuckles with a steady tempo. Her hand is warm and soft, thinner and smaller than my own.

"And you didn't date in high school either than?"

"No, I was always with Blue or band or science club. There were girls in school I liked, but I never knew how to talk to them or if they were single obviously!"

"And you saw Daisy when you went over to Blue's house."

"Yes, she was probably the only girl I ever spent time with on a regular basis. I hadn't really thought about it like that."

"And well she is incredibly pretty so of course you fell for her."

Is that jealousy? Are we still unresolved about the cruise incident? I have to respond to this statement carefully.

"Well yeah, but to be honest, Daisy was just a good host. I mean Blue lost both of his parents and his grandfather is always busy so it was up to her to entertain us and feed us. I was getting normal attention from a girl and thought there was more to us, but there wasn't."

"I could see that."

"OK. So let me go back to your story! You had THAT bad experience with the kiss monster, but you gave him another shot?"

"Right! I did. I let him kiss me and tried to enjoy it. It was supposed to feel good right? I mean kissing...well anyway it just wasn't very good. I actually tried to avoid him the next day and then the rest of the week. He finally chased me down in the hallway, and I wanted to tell him I wasn't interested in him, but he asked me out, and I said yes!"

"Why?"

"I know 'why Green?' Again, cute guy showing me attention, girl's brain goes out the window! Anyway he asked me to come over to his place and watch some scary movie. I don't like scary movies but sure I'll go. His parents would be upstairs and let us have the living room to ourselves he told me. My parents were iffy but let me go.

"I get there, and his parents are out of town at some party in Viridian! I'm kind of mad at this point and let him know, but he just says they are coming later and not to worry. I get on the couch, and he gives me a bowl of popcorn and grabs a blanket for us to snuggle in. I'm sitting next to him trying to watch this film and thinking everything is going to be fine."

"But?"

"But he starts trying to kiss me again, on the neck, in the cheek. It's so sloppy! Then he starts trying to put his hands all over me under the blanket! I turned and slapped David right in the face. I spilled his popcorn bowl on his head and bolted out of there like the place was on fire!"

"Whoa!"

"Whoa is right? I told my parents, and they hugged me and helped me calm down that night. When I went to school the next day, everyone just stared at me and didn't talk to me. They all knew I hit David and thought I might hit them, too. Maybe I would have if anyone tried to make a joke about it."

"Geez and that was it for you and dates huh?"

"Dates, yes! Crushes, no."

"Right, there was Blue."

"Yes, there was Blue, and then my friend and I got into an argument about that and now I...I don't even want to talk about her."

"Oh the one that liked him, too. OK."

"And you didn't ask out Daisy? Is she the only one?"

"Huh? I mean yes, I didn't ask out anyone. Thought about some people, but not really. I...OK can I say something about Daisy?"

"Go on," she says giving me a look over. I'm being studied again.

"OK, yes, Daisy is a pretty girl, but she was also the only girl I really saw on a regular basis and only because I visited Blue."

"We've been over that."

"I know. What I mean is she just told me last week that I'm like a brother to her. That sort of ruins it for me!"

"So she is not competition anymore then? Is that what you're saying? Ha ha!"

I see her face light up with laughter and joy. Each smile is like a small prize just for me.

"Ha! No, she is no competition for you."

"Oh...that's nice."

Green pauses and doesn't speak. Feeling confident, I go on.

"Green, I always thought you were a pretty girl back in school, but I never got a chance to know you. I mean now I know that you are pretty cool, and I just love this adventure so far."

"Me, too!"

"But you are really wonderful and I mean look at this dress! You are just gorgeous."

I see her blush and feel her squeeze my hand with both of hers.

"Oh Red, stop it!"

"No, you are. It's true! And I want to say some other things. I blew it with the cruise thing. I did. I apologize!"

"It's in the past. I forgive you."

"Thank you! Oh! And about David...the way he was with you, kind of forceful, pushy..."

"Try gross!"

"Ok gross then! Anyway I want you to know that my parents didn't raise me that way. I was taught to cherish a woman, one woman, and make her feel safe and beautiful. I don't want you to worry about me hurting you or scaring you off like that. I feel privileged to be here with you."

"Red that is so sweet! I'm not worried. I'm not worried about you. I feel like...I can trust you. My father told me stories about your father after the war. He was a standup guy, and I never saw anything about you at school that made me think you were otherwise. Ha ha, you know Blue wasn't the only crush I had after David?"

"Oh? Who else was there?"

I ask the question and realize the answer after the words leave my mouth. It was me!

She leans forward, and so do I. Like magnets we come together effortlessly. I feel her arms reach behind my back and slide mine onto her shoulders. The touch of her skin makes my heart start beating like a drum. I see her lips close to mine and feel my mouth water. What is this excitement, this thrill? Her noses touches mine and our lips are less than a breath apart. Could this be our first kiss?

"RED! GREEN!"

We pause in our embrace only to see a frantic Blue standing over us. Feeling violated and confused, we both slide back into our chairs. I groan a little louder than I mean to but don't feel bad.

Blue doesn't say anything and rolls his eyes at me as if I somehow inconvenienced him and not the other way around.

"Guys! I saw Erica! Follow me!"

We both get up to follow him just as the waitress returns. I quickly look at the menu and point to the first two appetizers and tell her we want those for our meals. I don't even know what I choose, but I'm getting hungry and a little irritated. Anything will do.

She nods and walks off, and Blue goes on ahead of us to hunt down Erica. I'm beginning to wonder if he just saw or if even I saw earlier. Green starts to turn and follow him, but I reach out and catch her hand.

"Green wait!"

She turns around and I draw her into my arms. I pull her a little too quickly and feel her frame bump into mine. She looks at me with her brown eyes wide. I see the words in them without her saying them: "what is it? Is this excitement or fear? Am I safe with you?" I can feel the beat of her heart in her chest as it rests against my own. I lean in slow and gently bring my lips to hers. She makes the slightest moan as we kiss, and I find her lips dropping with richness sweeter than any nectar.

I bring my mouth back just enough that my forehead is still touching hers. She stares into my eyes and smiles. I feel warm and exposed suddenly and step back from her, but she holds onto my hands not letting me go.

"RED! GREEN! Come on!"

Our friend calls to us once more, and we remember where we are. The two of us share a quick laugh and follow after Blue.

"How was..."

"Good..."

"Yes?"

"Yes!"

I squeeze her hand and soak in beauty of the casino section. There are card games like black jack and poker, roulette, and slot machine after slot machine. There also seems to be many arcade games. Some are separated by themselves and are clearly meant for younger adults and kids to play just for fun. Other arcade games have slots for money as well. One in particular grabs my attention, the caption "Catch'em All" shines above the screen.

"Let's come back here if we don't find them."

"Sounds good to me!"

Just as my partner consents to more fun with me, Blue freezes in front of her causing her to all but fell on top of him.

"Oh, sorry. Hey, where did she go? I just saw her."

"Should we split up?"

"Yeah! I'll go this way."

Our ignorant friend speeds ahead without looking back and the two of us laugh once more.

"I just don't think that she's here. I don't think we need we'll find any bad guys here."

"I agree. I'm a little disappointed, but not much. OK, come with me and let's check out this game I just saw."

"OK!"

We make our way back to the arcade games and find four monitors for "Catch'em All," two of which are occupied by young boys. I sit down in a chair and Green takes the remaining one on my right turning, sideways to face my screen.

The premise of the game apparently is to use some kind of ball to catch Pokémon. Like a Bill Box, the ball is some advanced technology that makes something shrink to fit inside it, even a big Pokémon like Gyrados or Onix. What a fun idea for a video game!

I sit down at one monitor, and Green takes the seat next to me. I see places to insert coins or bills, a lever to select some options, five small buttons, and one big green button with the caption "Throw.

I pull out some coins and try hitting the buttons to modify some options in the game, but I can't tell if I'm making things better or worse. After hitting "throw" about four times, we decide that the game is rigged and get up to leave.

"Bummer!"

"You tried your best, Red. It's OK!"

"Bssst! Hey, come here!"

We look to our left and see a man sitting in front of a monitor for another game. His body is facing the screen, but I notice him holding out a slip of paper at waist height. I walk up to him looking both ways and take the form like a kid taking a gossip letter in the middle of class. Quietly and looking in every direction, I grab it and step back.

"Enjoy!" he says without looking up.

Weird! I look over the note and see a sequence of numbers that goes on and on and some of the numbers are circled.

"What do you think it means?"

"Hmmm…every seventh number is circled."

"Wonder why?"

"Red, it's a pattern. I have an idea. Let's go back and sit down."

Green has me sit back in the chair and hands me some more coins. I put them in then lean back as Green starts punching buttons for me. She looks back and forth from the screen to the paper like a gamer putting in a cheat code.

"Hmmm…"

She bites her bottom lip as she tries a few different combinations. Beautiful! I watch quietly as the word "Miss" flashes across the screen a few times. Then it happens.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"You caught Pikachu!"

"Great job Green!"

"Oh great job, Red! I just helped."

As we laugh together, a clerk dressed in all black shirt and pants with a white tie and black beret walks up to me. He quietly motions for me to follow him to his booth with the Element Crystals. Green gives me a shove, and I get up to follow him with her close behind. There is quite a collection of skills available, and I'm told to pick any I want.

"Look you can pick Clefairy! I got that one back at Mt. Moon!"

I look at the pink fluff ball that Green caught a skill from earlier. It's not my first pick but suits her. I also see an Abra, the cat like humanoid creature Blue got a Skill from outside of Cerulean City. It suits him.

"I caught this one, Nidorino!"

I point to the purple creature with big ears and a horn. Next to it is a blue, female equivalent of Nidorino called Nidorina.

"Oh look! It's like the girl version."

"Right! Oh look!"

I spot some scary looking Bug Pokémon called Scyther and Pinsir. They seem to be named so because of their appendages. One is green and has scythe like arms while the other is brown with two pincers on its head.

"Oh, it's so creepy looking!" Green says pointing at the picture of Pinsir.

"I like this one more!"

She points to a picture of a wolf cub animal with six curly tails. I read the caption under its face, "Vulpix."

"Ha! I could see you getting that one. Tell you what, I'll pick that one out for you."

"You will? Oh thank you!"

I point to the Vulpix picture, and the man grabs a red crystal and hands it to me. I give it to Green and watch as she cracks it over her hair. The resin quickly disappears in her auburn hair briefly causing a twinkle in her flower piece. Her eyes flash red and her arms twitch for a moment and the skill takes hold.

"Cool!"

"Yeah, are you happy with that one?"

"Very much!"

She leans close and kisses me on the cheek and for a second I feel my body jolt with excitement. I could get used to this.

"Kid. Hey kid!"

"Yes, sir."

I snap out of my daze and look back to the man that gave me the crystal.

"Hey you want one, too? Ted gave you the code right?"

"Ted?"

"Ted Ninno, he's the guy that built the game. It's really hard to win, but Ted has a soft spot for lovers. He always gives the code off to some couple. I think he was a romantic back in the day. I used to tell him to quit, but it doesn't hurt anything so I gave up. Ha ha! Go ahead, just give me the letter first if you don't mind."

"Uh…OK!"

I produce the code and hand it to him. The clerk smiles and says something to himself then waves to the Crystals, cueing me to look again.

"I'll take the Scyther!"

He hands me a brown, green Crystal, and I crack it in my hair. I feel some new abilities come into my mind and incision the green BUG creature attaching its prey with its scythe like arms. Then a strange calm come over me. I check my Skillfinder and see four dots now instead of three. It dawns on me that Green, and I have four skills.

"That's four skills. We can only get two more each."

"Well I'm very happy to add this one to my collection. Thank you mister!"

"Yes, thanks so much!"

He smiles and tips his cap before giving a quick bow and walking off. Green takes my hand and smiles at me. I can't imagine this night getting much more exciting. How lucky am I?

16

"Bsssst!"

We turn around and this time see Blue sitting at a monitor though he is starting right at us in contrast to Ted just a moment ago. He avoids yelling our names and running like before and simply points to the edge of the casino. We look and see Erica! She is standing by a staircase in what looks like a heated argument with the two men from earlier. Unlike earlier however Erica isn't wearing her typical kimono but instead has on a black jacket and matching black skirt. The ensemble definitely gives her a pretty her less refined look than I'm used to.

Suddenly one of the men grabs her arm and pulls her with him down the stairs. The other follows closely behind.

"What's happening?"

"Blue, it looks like she might be in trouble."

"Whatever! Let's follow them and find out."

We both nod and follow Blue to the staircase. As we approach I start to hear the roar of electronic music from below. With each step, the light from overhead gets darker and the music a little louder. At the bottom of the steps, lights of every color begin crawling across the walls.

We cross a packed dance floor my zigzagging through gaps and frequently bumping into people. No one talks just presses forward as we see the trio go behind a black curtain at the end of the room. When we reach it, I see Erica walk by herself into a room on the right of a long and empty hallway.

"Hi friends!"

Turning around we discover that the two men that accompanied Erica on the street were waiting for us. They block the only exit we know out of here and smile at us like hungry wolves. The guy in the right is skinny with dyed purple hair underneath a black cap while the one on the right is more muscular and blonde without a hat. They remove their outer coats to reveal their black costumes and the glowing red "R" on the breast of their shirts.

Blue runs at them for a Tackle, but the blonde delivers a Mega Punch first. The attack is one I saw on TV and impacts with Blue's face just like it did with another fighter when I saw it performed last time. The attacker drives his fist forward with incredible power such that a small gust of air hits us from get away and the impact makes a solid slam!

"BLUE!"

Green covers her mouth in terror as the purple haired man catches a bow unconscious Blue before just as he is about to collapse to the floor. He picks him and throws him over a shoulder like a sack of potatoes and motions for us to get back.

"Go on kiddies! If you don't want to take an early bed time, you better go join your friend in there with Alfie."

Alfie? We don't have a shot at giving these guys it seems. Green looks at me with her eyes and mouth open. I grab her hand and nod. For now we will go with these guys and if we're lucky, we will get a chance to escape later.

We turn and into "Room 6" here we see Erica sitting at a table by herself while a man dressed an older man in a black and white suit stands uncomfortably over her. His bald head shines under a single spotlight as well as his shark like smile which he reveals to us as we come in the door.

"Butch! Jesse! Who have you brought to join us? More of your friends Summer?"

"Summer?"

Alfie looks at us curiously and purses his lips like he is deciding which person to eating first then makes a smile fully intended for us. Yikes!

We sit down next to Summer who looks up at us nervously for a second then goes back to staring at her hands. Jesse as Alfie called him puts Blue down next to her. As he starts to come back around, I watch his eyes as he looks around at everyone in the room in confusion and shock. When his eyes meet Summer's, his eyebrows furrow and his gaze hardens.

"What is going on? Just who are you?"

"Ah buddy you are out of the loop aren't you?" Alfie answers for Summer. "Let me clean up the mess here. You see this girl here, she's no Erica, she's no Gym Leader, heck she's supposed to be a good spy, and she's not even that."

Alfie and the other Rocket members chuckle. I feel my heart racing but try my best to slow my breathing down. I have to be ready for any chance I have to get out of here alive. I look over to see Green panting and looking frantically around the room. I still have her hand in mine and give a tug. She looks my way, and I quietly motion to her with my mouth to take a deep breath. She nods and mimics me then closes her eyes and clothes my hand as she tries to focus on her breathing.

"Green, think of somewhere safe and go there in your mind. We will get out of here," I promise to her in my best whisper.

"Cute!"

Alfie steps over to me and leans forward bringing his ugly mug close to my face. He could bite my nose if he wanted, and I wouldn't put it past him.

"Look you there, it's nothing personal, but you shouldn't be messing with Team Rocket. Summer here for your knowledge is not your friend. She has been spying on Blue here's grandfather for us or she was supposed to. She has also been coloring outside of the lines lately and the boss, well he runs a tight ship. Can't have anybody running their mouth or causing trouble so it's time somebody got thrown overboard."

He leans back and cranes his head over to Summer.

"It's not true...I did what I had to do. I got information. I didn't do anything wrong. And Daisy was my friend...that's all I asked for was a friend..."

Summer sheepishly tries to explain herself to Alfie who has started chewing on something in his mouth. Hopefully his own tongue.

"Please I didn't want these thee two get involved. Let them go at least. I can prove I'm honest later."

"Sorry sister! Normally I'd like to give your pretty face a good listen, but Jesse and Butch here got eyes in their heads you know. Saw you chatting with Red here at the library and giving winks to Blue here at the casino. Oh did I forget mention that our stolen goods got restored right after you popped into town today?"

"For the last time, I didn't take the Silph Drive! You searched me and my place already! What more do you want?"

Alfie leans in close to Summer and cups her face with his hand pulling her up out of her chair. I watch as she grab at his hand and resists.

"I'll find that Silph Drive Summer or you'll find your sister in the morning paper. Don't make me keep asking. I'm not one for being tested."

This time I make the bold move to lunge forward. Tackling Alfie from the side, I knock him off balance causing him to release Summer. I hold onto his collar with one hand and strike him with the other in a swift array of swipes that claw up his face. I think this is called Fury Cutter, and it leaves quite a collection of red marks. He staggers back and covers his face letting out a low growl.

Behind me I hear a commotion and turn to see Blue being thrown the air by Butch and Green Biting Jesse in the hand. He flinches then tries to bring a Karate Chop to her head just as I intervene with another Tackle. I knock him back and grab Green off the floor. Turning back I see Blue getting off the floor unsteadily, grabbing his head with one hand. He looks at me with wild eyes and waves us away. I look around the room and as that I can't get to him or Summer without running into our enemies head on.

Jesse lunges at me, and I dodge just in time to get out of the way. As I leave the room, I see Butch grab Blue from behind and carry him over to Alfie. He doesn't put up a fight and words to me once more, "Go!"

I run out the door headed for the curtain we came through only to see three Rocket Grunts with whips out. I stop on my heel and turn to the right where I see an elevator opening though no one seems to be coming out of it.

"Red! The elevator!"

I dash towards it not letting go of Green's hand. We get in and look at the walls to see only one button marked by the letter "G" as well as the alarm button which simply rings a bell. I hit the "G" button and gold my breath as the doors close in front of the angry men chasing after us. Once they realize they can't stop us, the angry men stop and glare at us as the metal doors block them out of view. I let out a sigh as we start to go down without interruption.

"We left them...I left them..."

"We had to Red...I'm sorry. I didn't help you at all down there. I just froze!"

I turn to her and see a tear coming down her face.

"Red, what was I trying to prove? I'm not like you and Blue. I'm not brave like my parents. You saw Team Rocket and jumped to help to first chance you had, but I just...I was so scared."

"Hey..."

I pull her into my arms and kiss her on the forehead and smooth her hair back from her face. She leans into me and buries her head into my chest as I speak softly into her ear.

"We never thought this would happen. You reacted the way any normal person would. Don't beat yourself up. Blue told me about how you fought Misty, and you were the one that got me to get serious about starting this journey. You told me about your Dad, and how badly you wanted to clear his name."

"Yes..." she says pulling back and looking at me as she wipes a tear from her eyes.

"I know you're scared. I am, too, but that isn't who you are. You are a warrior, Kyomi Hayashi...that's who you are."

"Red...you are..."

But before I can hear what she says, the door opens. We are greeted by the sight of a personal office with an oak desk in the center. I believe a man is sitting behind the desk but only see the top of his dark haired head behind mounds of files and papers.

"Come in!"

At first I hesitate, partly hoping the door will just close, and reopen to somewhere outside of this place, but instead it remains wide open.

"Come in! Come in!"

We look at each other then slowly walk into the room to see the same Rocket Grunts from earlier. How did they get here so fast? It felt like we went down several floors.

"Satoshi Himura..."

I hear the voice of the man behind the desk as he comes out to see us. He is well dressed in suit and bow tie. A tiny button of an "R" shines back at us from his left lapel of his jacket.

"Well not him exactly but his son. Himura died in the war. I saw him die."

He smirks as he walks toward me, eyes trained on me like a wild cat in the jungle. I feel my eyes squint at him and tighten my jaw.

"What do you mean saw him die? How do you know who I am? How do you know my father?"

"Oh ho! Red, that's what you go by right? And Green here, too. Blue is with our traitor downstairs. I know all about the three of you. The question is do you know who you are?"

"What do you mean?"

"How did you get those badges so quickly when it takes normal trainers so much longer? Where did Oak find those rare Pokémon skills you have? Why wait to train now when Team Rocket is on the rise? I'll tell you why my boy! It's because you are all part of Oak's mad scheme to resist me. Ha ha! He dares to defy me now with teenagers. What irony that he would turn Himura's son of all people on me!"

"What are you going on about? What do you have against my father?"

"Your father! Ha! Your father was so heroic. Oh yes, he died to save Kanto from itself. But did anyone tell you that he did it for glory? Himura died to make a name for himself, but he didn't have to, no!

"He had his orders, and he disobeyed them. Because of that he and many others died as martyrs. Those fools died and took all the credit, but my unit found the bomb. We worked with the Champion of Kanto and had a plan in motion.

"Instead my unit was left behind like fools and forgotten. I needed that victory...my family...my honor...ruined by some idiot heroes. Now they haunt me by sending me their children!"

"Our parents fought for the safety of all and the peace of Kanto. You take that back!"

Green yells waving a fist in the air like a protester at a rally. I see her confidence has returned and a familiar fire behind her eyes.

"So you blame the people that died for this country for stealing your thunder and made Team Rocket. Why?"

"Good question, Red! I'll tell you why. When my family came apart both biological and military for that matter, I wasn't the only one that felt that Mashmo or whatever his name is striving for peace was the correct response. Kanto is weak and our economy in decline. One good attack from our neighbors again, and we'd become some colony or territory."

"You have a solution to keep that from happening then?"

"Yes, I will take this country by force and lead an outfit properly prepared and trained to make Kanto great again. Unova, Johto, Sinnoh! These nations will tremble at the sound of our name."

"That's what you want, fear? People ARE afraid of you. Great job! Although most people are afraid of thieves, murderers, and bombs so what did you expect?"

"Well Red, what I expect is for them to realize that the system in place won't protect them. Oak knows better than this. Relying on our champion and some misfit trainers called Gym Leaders to enforce laws is embarrassing. You saw Misty. She was so easily led outside of her town by one of my agents, and a small team was able to steal Crystals galore!"

"I also remember taking that guy and the band of thieves you sent to Pewter City to jail!"

"Ah yes, you did play your part didn't you? Well I appreciate your efforts, but maybe I should tell you what you're up against and as a mercy I'll let you end this crusade without punishment. Observe!"

The Rocket Boss points to his wall and several monitors that I didn't notice before come alive. We see footage from cameras covering the whole building including the casino and restaurant as well as multiple floors of what appears to be storage rooms. I look carefully at the screen to see dozens of worked moving endless amounts of crates that stand ten feet tall. There is also machinery cranking out devices of some kind.

"What's it in those boxes? What are you making?"

"I'm a busy man Red, but sure I'll stop and tell you about some of newest hobbies. Those boxes you see are loaded with Element Skills. We are in no short supply of Pokémon abilities. My general you saw Butch and Jesse prefer to give Grunts Poison types because they have so few weaknesses."

I read some labels on the screen and see he is telling the truth. Ekans and its evolved form, Arbok, are poisonous snakes. Grimer and Muk are poisonous blob creatures that live in sewers. Koffing by and Weezing are floating gas monsters, the same kind that flew through Saffron City on a rampage last week.

"But of course why stop with Pokémon Skills? I have also developed a machine that makes individualized special attacks or as call them, Technical Machines! Any trainer working for me can get an unlimited number of skills in their system plus these TMs and become a one man fighting machine. The Grunts you ran into at Mt. Moon weren't introduced to these goodies, but pretty soon every Rocket member will be unbeatable! That's why we are Team Rocket! We are fast and deadly, and nothing can stop us!"

"You devil! You're the one Surge warned us about, Kami Sakiki!"

"Ah! The word is out! Well you needn't worry about formalities Himura. I go by Giovanni now."

"Well Giovanni I think I've heard enough from you..."

I transition to my Charmeleon skill and feel heat well up in my body.

"See if you're faster than this!"

I spew Embers all over his files and watch them burn. He frantically runs to his work crying out something like "Porygon!" or something. Pathetic! The three goons rush us, but Green is ready to use her Ember as well from her newest skill. We both Tackle them and knock everyone down without effort and hit the button in the elevator.

"That won't work for you. It's remote controlled by me."

I turn around to see Giovanni holding a controller in his hand.

"Why do you think it opened just for you earlier?"

He sets the remote down and pulls open a drawer under his desk and removes something. He puts two bulky gloves on and hits a button in the middle of the palms. I hear a click and see prices of the gauntlets reshape into horns! One stands out straight and spiky while the other whirs in a spiral like a drill. He bears his teeth at us like a wild dog and jumps over his desk like a gymnast.

Rrrrrr! Baaaam!

He misses my head with his Horn Drill by a millimeter and destroys a filing cabinet behind me with one blow. With his other arm free, he jabs at me with the Horn Attack like some mad bee, and I fall back on the floor. Green grabs my hand and helps me up just as he retracts his drill.

"Red! Move!"

She pulls me towards the other end of the room, but I see no way out other than this elevator. Giovanni walks slowly towards us then Stomps on the ground with his heel, and a small remote makes us both fall down. We can't die here! We have to keep moving!

"Red! What is this thing?"

I turn around and see a glowing white tile on the floor. A cinder flies off of the desk onto the tile and vanishes! But not like it burned up. It just disappeared. Green pushes a pen in the floor onto the tile and sure enough we get the same result.

"Let's go!"

Giovanni Stomps the floor again and again throwing is off to the point we crawl to the tile. I turn back and spit an Ember at him just as I land on the tile myself.

Wsssssssh!

A warm draft and quick darkness cover me as I relocate from the Boss's office to one of the storage rooms. We look around and see many people starting at us in their overalls and gloves.

Wssssh!

Giovanni emerges next to us with his horns out to attack. I grab Green by the hand and run for cover. I can hear behind us the clamor of footsteps and the huff and puff of our foe hot on our tails. We find another following tile and run to it.

Appearing in another room, I point to the boxes and spit Embers at them. Green mimics me, and we begin running to tiles and trying to burn anything we can along the way. Giovanni wants to make an army, and he may be too tough for us to take head on, but we can still do our part to set him back.

After getting through four rooms and feeling like we're in a roll, Giovanni appears in front of us!

"You brats! I'll kill you for this!"

He jumps into the air and slams all four limbs into the ground with incredible force. I feel the ground then boxes and then even the walls start to tremble.

Dooooooom!

"He's trying to make an Earthquake! The whole building will come crashing in on itself!"

"DIE! Die you pests!"

He jumps into the air once more, but we don't stick around to watch.

Dooooom!

We dash to another tile, and this time we appear back in the room where Alfie was interrogating Summer and where we left Blue, but everyone is gone!

"Where are they?"

"We will find them Red. Let's get out of here!"

She's right! We run down the hallway and pass through the curtain. The overhead lights have come and people are screaming and running for the stairs. The staff stand at the side watching the chaos, and it dawns on me that many of them if not all just work for Team Rocket.

We get up the steps and make it to see everyone heading to main door through the casino and restaurant. Everyone except for two men in black that head through another curtain we didn't see earlier.

"Green! Look!"

We turn and follow after them and when we get through the curtain they run across another glowing tile and vanish. We charge through ourselves and come out in some sort of bunker loaded with boxes and lit by a few lanterns. This room...it's different from the Rocket HQ. Are we in a different building?

We go up the nearby steps and watch as the Grunts disappear into a crowd on the streets in front of us. We don't pursue them though because we're too caught that off guard by the scenery. This isn't Celadon City!

"That sky...it can't be? Huh!"

Green turns around and looks back at the building we just came out of. I do, too, but when I see it, I can't believe my eyes.

"It's...its Memorial Tower! We're in Lavender Town!"


	10. Memorial (Pokemon) Tower

17

"Oh my gosh! How did we wind up here?"

"It has to be that tile. It somehow relocates you in time and space."

"Like teleportation?"

"Actually I think that is exactly what happened! Team Rocket uses this technology to get around quickly. They could use it quite efficiently in one building, but if they could use it to get from Celadon to here..."

"They could use them to get anywhere whenever they wanted in all of Kanto!"

"Green, these guys are real bad news! Giovanni wants to turn his thugs into a militia and take over Kanto. With those crystals and tiles, he might be able to pull it off!"

"And he has Blue! Where did they take Blue?"

"I don't know..."

My stomach growls, and I suddenly remember how hungry I am. Green frowns and looks at me because she is also hungry, and both of us are very tired. We need to find Blue but traveling all the way back to Celadon tonight after going there from Vermillion earlier this morning just seems like too much.

"Let's check the tower and see if maybe he came through this way as well."

"OK. Hey, didn't you say something about a person or persons going missing?"

"Yes, there is a doctor here that went missing after visiting the tower. Everyone just calls him Mr. Fuji. I think Team Rocket is involved somehow."

We turn around and walk past the door we came out of which is marked "Personnel Only" and head into some big wooden doors. There are lanterns lit throughout the building but just enough to see. The stone columns and dark purple walls give this place an ancient and eerie vibe to it.

A woman in a long robe makes her way toward us. She has a staff in one hand and a necklace in the other looking ready to fight some spiritual battle. The look in her eyes tells us that this is no place to come and relax.

"Young ones, you must leave at once! It isn't safe here!"

"Why is that? Is Team Rocket here?"

"They are indeed, and they are quite dangerous! Its best you go on home. I will stay and pray for deliverance from this evil presence they brought here."

"Lady, WE are here to stop them! Team Rocket kidnapped our friend well friends. We have to find them!"

Erica or Summer as we now know her is really on our side against Team Rocket right? Whoever isn't against us is for us. That makes her a friend in my book.

"Please, it isn't safe. They are quite strong and have also stirred up the Ghost Pokémon! It's safe down here but upstairs is like a battleground!"

"Ghost Pokémon?"

"Yes, they aren't actually Ghost, but they are impenetrable to Normal touch and effects and tend to stay near graves. Team Rocket brought some device here that upset them. They are attacking guests and nothing seems to soothe them."

"Hmmm, I wonder if this is the Silph Drive. Alfie stated that Summer stole it, and they wanted it back for some purpose."

"You're right Green!"

"Alfie?" says the priestess. "One of the men that came through here called the other Alfie. There were three of three of them altogether, and they were carrying something upstairs in a heavy looking box. You really are here to stop them then?"

"Yes, they are the ones that started all the troubles you're having in the tower I'm sure, and they took our friends. We have sort of made it our mission to stop their plans and have already got in their way twice now. We're going to stop them for good!"

The priestess looks at me in disbelief but doesn't protest. She can tell we're serious business and steps aside bowing her head. She says a prayer for us before we advance.

I don't know what is upstairs, but stopping Team Rocket is part of the mission to honor my father, and I trust that we will succeed. I just hope Blue is OK. I'm thankful Green is by my side, but I also hope that no harm comes to her either.

We make our way to the steps and start our ascent taking in the odd staircase. The steps appears to be entirely made of amethyst and granite giving them a beautiful but cold feel. I can vaguely see my reflection on each one as well as the flickering of light from the fiery lanterns all around us.

For just a moment, I watch Green in the steps as she follows close behind me. She seems timid once more so I stop and let her catch up to me and take her hand. By accident I look back down at the steps and see her reflection turn to look at me in the strangely. The image blinks and opens its eyes not with Green's beautiful brown irises but with solid black eyes!

"Whoa!"

"What is it?"

"I just saw something weird on those steps. Did you see it?"

As I ask the question, her reflection returns to normal as if nothing happened.

"No...Red, this place is way too scary. I see what that lady was talking about. Can we hurry it out of here?"

I nod in agreement and keep my eyes trained before us.

Once we make it to the second floor, were greeted by a thick mist and the faint sound of whispering voices. I don't see any people just the long walls of the memorial. On all sides of the room stand black stone tablets depicting the names of those soldiers that died in the Big War.

I came here once years ago, but don't remember it very well. All I know is that my father's name is listed somewhere on the third floor, and I want to say that Blue's parents are written in on the fourth. I don't remember being fond of this place, but I also don't remember it being so creepy either.

"You came here before right?"

"Yes, I was sad about losing my father, and I didn't like this place because of that. This time it's just spooky."

"I'm sorry about your father."

She quietly wraps her arms around me from behind as we make our way across the room. Her touch is accepted and warm though now I have I walk a little slower.

"Is this to reassure me or you?"

"Both!" Green says.

The whispers keep coming and from time to time I see something in the reflection of the memorial, but just when I look at it, whatever I saw goes away. Ugh, I'm ready to get out of this place!

Whooosh!

Something flies right in front of me, and I stop in my tracks. It happens once more. Then again and again! Something is circling us like a bee, but it's much bigger an insect.

"Hellllllllloooooo?"

We turn around to see the outline of a man. Actually he looks like a shadow of a man, but where is the shadow coming from? I study him carefully and determine this is no man at all but some sort of creature messing with us. It repeats itself over and over.

"Hellllllooooo? Helllllooooo?"

Suddenly another shadow man appears to our left. Then a woman appears as well. Pretty soon there are half a dozen of these shadow people taunting us.

"Helllo!"

"Died? He can't be dead!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The squeal of the last shadow girl makes us jump back. I can feel my heart pounding. The air in the room is cold yet I'm sweating like I just got out of a sauna. Though they are shadows, these creatures walk up to me, and I feel that crowded sensation you get when real people are too many and too close giving me the urge to walk backwards. This is no light show. These creatures are here!

Then just as I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach, I see one lunge toward Green from the side. I want to do something, but as I turn I feel like I'm moving in slow motion. It steps in and opens its mouth and Licks her on the cheek like a dog!

"EEEEEEEEEEEEE! RED! GET US OUT OF HERE!"

At the sound of her cry, the others jump forward and start Licking me on the face feverishly as if they might lap up my skin from my skull. It feels weird and disorienting like someone pushing a damp and sticky rag on my face.

I try clawing and swinging at them but my hands go through them like smoke. I feel most in my hands and stop then spew Embers at them. The shadows dance back giving me the time to grab Green and run for the stairs.

"I can't touch them but fire hurts them like anything else!"

"Don't tell me, JUST MOVE!"

More of them start phasing through the memorial walls to peep at us and taunt us more with a creepy "helllloooo?" or two. I round a couple of corners and find the stairs.

We bolt upstairs passing some shadows that are simply standing in place. I don't know or care what they are doing because all I can think is "don't stop, keep moving." Until I can't anymore.

"Hey what gives? My legs aren't working. I can't move!"

"Red! Why are you stopping?"

"I...can't move...paralyzed!"

"WHAT? NO NO NO!"

She tries to tug me forward, but I simply fall over on the ground on top of her. I can't move at all, and she is pinned under my weight trying to hold me up enough to breath. This isn't how a date should end!

"Hang on…Red!"

Green pushes me off of her and lays my potato sack of a body on my side next to her. She cups my face for a second with her hand then turns and digs through her pockets in her dress.

Green rises to her feet and opens up her Bill Box with a loud thud. I close my eyes and try to relax my breathing as I listen to her frantically dig through its contents. She finally sprays me down with something, and I feel a burning sensation in my arms and legs. It stings for just a moment until once again I can feel them move.

"There! The Paralyze Heal should help. Can you move? Please say you can move!"

I get to one knee then close the gap between us and wrap my arms around her and kiss her on the lips. At first she tightens up her body and even steps back but slowly brings her arms around me and kisses me back. As we step back from each other, she looks into my eyes with in surprise and curiosity.

"Why did you do that?"

"You made me better. Sorry…I wanted to thank you."

She brings a hand to her face as if she has never been kissed before then nods at me. I don't know what she is thinking but decide that maybe that was too much for her.

"You ready, Green?"

"Uh huh, yes. Let's keep going."

Just as we turn to walk, we see a shadow couple before us. In a way that almost perfectly mirrors our last movements, the male shadow leans forward and kisses the female shadow. The two embrace but keep on kissing much longer than we did.

"Who are they? They look just like us."

"That's the point. They aren't people. I think they're Pokémon acting like people for some reason. Whatever Team Rocket did here is making them want to Torment the visitors. Just try to ignore them."

She nods, and I extend a hand to her. Green looks at my hand strangely then finally takes it, and we carefully tip toe around the kissing shadows and make our way around another bend. A lantern flickers brightly just enough to make me notice the wall, and I catch the name "Satoshi Himura, Sr." written on the wall in red ink. I see small vines and branches carved around my father's name and just below it is the caption "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

Indeed I do not know exactly what happened during the war, but I know that somehow Dad's death ended the war. Maybe greed and hatred started it, but sacrifice and love ended it or so I'm told. People in Pallet don't give details but all spoke about Dad as if he were their closest friend or even a father to them.

I try to remember what I can. There was something about a bomb. How did his death affect a bomb? Even Giovanni had stated that my father didn't need to die. There were other orders to follow. What were we talking about? Why don't I know what happened during the war? Am I so dumb for not asking more?

"Red? Are you OK."

"Huh? Sorry...I found..."

"Your father's name!"

Green cocks her head towards the name, and I nod in agreement.

Her hands find their way to the center of my back and slide carefully up my spine. The touch soothes me as she massages my shoulders and pulls me back. With her face close to mine, I savor the warmth breath on my neck.

"Red…" Green whispers.

"Yes?"

I feel her let go of me and step back.

"We…we should go."

"Oh…OK."

I try to look in her eyes, but she keeps her gaze on the ground as she takes my hand and pushes past me. For a second I lose my balance as she drags me to the next stair case. Once we get halfway up the steps, she stops and I nearly trip over her. Before I can complain I hear the reason for slamming on the brakes, voices.

With each step the whispers get a little louder though the words are gibberish. As we make it to the next floor, shadow people come into view. They wander around looking at the memorial walls like tourists would even though they aren't real people.

We try not to react to them, and though they sometimes run toward us, the Ghosts seem more playful than aggressive. I try to walk slow and avoid looking them in the eye the way one might act around a wild animal, and Green does the same.

"I think they mean to scare us more so than attack," I whisper.

Green nods but bites her lips nervously all the same.

As we near the last staircase, I hear a distinct set of voices talking over the shadow people. It's Alfie and Summer.

"So it's been a nice game Summer, but your time is up. You've outlived your usefulness."

"No! Please!"

BAM!

We peep over the banister of the staircase into the top room to see Alfie throw a limp Summer into one of the oversized crates from the warehouse. As Alfie drops her in the box like a bag of beans, I see Blue pop his head out the box. He has a gag over his mouth and struggles as if he is tied up until he looks my way. Did he see me?

Ca-chunk!

Alfie shuts the crate on the two of them and turns to look at an old man surrounded by children and teens. Butch and Jesse stand to the left and right of the group with their eyes trained on him like watch dogs.

"Please, don't do this! She is a real person like you and me. All of these children are!"

"Fuji, you know that real and useful are not the same thing to Team Rocket. We told you to make a weapon for Giovanni and you...you made a nursery of brats instead!"

"I helped with Project Silver! I tried to keep the boy to listen, but he ran away."

"Sure, but we never even saw this kid. Very convenient!"

"But he is real! He's possibly 15-16 years old now. And I helped with the Mew clone, too! The same problem...you can't birth a god creature. It will not listen to any normal man!"

"Yeah yeah, we know the speech. At least we saw Mewtwo, but you're right. We got the same results which is wasted time, a sad song and to boot there is more condescending virtue talk. Face it old man, you and the brats here are a story better left untold. Summer was the only one from the first generation that lived long enough to serve the Boss. She matched the Gym Leader to a tee, I'll give you that. We had trouble telling them apart sometimes, but all of these clones have the same problem, and that is getting wise. The Boss asked you to make soldiers not brats with attitude!"

"For the last time, I did not make carbon copies or shells of humans. I used REAL DNA to make REAL people. These 'clones' as you call them have human attributes because they are human even if they were conceived in a lab. I have acted as their surrogate father, but they all have biological donors. You can punish me if you want, but please leave the children alone! I beg you!"

"Sorry Hiden Fuji, you're out of time! Jesse? Butch?"

"Yeah boss, we got'em!"

"STOP!" I cry.

The generals of Team Rocket pause and look at me as I pop my head up over the banister. I have no idea what to do, but I can't sit back and watch them kill these people.

"Hey, look boys! It's that brat Red."

Green stands up next to me so that we're both exposed to the enemy. I try to tell her to run, but she won't listen to me.

"LET THEM GO!" she yells.

"Ah, his girlfriend came to the party, too!" Alfie chirps. "ALL RIGHT BOYS! KILL THEM!"

SMAAAASH!

We all turn to see a figure burst through a window behind Alfie and Tackle him to the floor. It's Yellow!

He stands up with his left foot on top of Alfie like a decorative rug. He stands tall in black pants and a trench coat similar to Looker's glaring at Butch and Jesse then turns to me.

"RED! GREEN! Duck and cover your ears!"

"What?" I

I stare in amazement as he raises his arms, and light starts to flood the room as if the sun were up even though it's the middle of the night. Just as I'm thinking I should look away, Green grabs me and pulls me back behind the banister into the steps. We cover our ears and tuck our heads down to the steps near our shoes as we shut our eyes tightly.

FLASH!

A loud explosion of energy echoes throughout the tower and I look at my feet as a glare reflects off the steps at me making them look white for just a moment. I grab my ringing ears and strain my eyes to see Green to my side bent forward and holding herself into a tight ball before closing my eyes once more. Above me I hear the faintest sound of punching and yelling then something slamming to the ground.

When the glare and ringing starts to subside, I slowly get to me feet and climb the steps. Yellow has knocked out all three generals singlehandedly!

The children have all gathered around Mr. Fuji on a corner of the room, and they don't let go of him a muscle when the flash finally resides.

18

"Red! Are you OK?"

"I'm...fine! What's was that? How did you do this? How did you know where to find us?"

"Slow down! You're safe now."

I take his advice and collect a few deep breaths. Green joins me at the top of the stairs as Yellow talks.

"Don't worry about them. These clowns aren't going anywhere. As for how I found you, you both have GPS on your Skillfinders thanks to Oak. We heard about your discovery of the Rocket Base on the news, and I was in the area so I came right away. What happened here?" he asks turning to Mr. Fuji.

"It's a long story, son. Please, help me get these children back home safely, and I'll tell you what I know."

Green points to the box, and we run toward it. I notice a latch on the side which I turn loose. Throwing open the lid, we find Blue untied and holding Summer in an intimate kiss!

"What is going on here?"

"Huh? Oh!"

Blue releases his partner, and the two sit up in the large crate and look at us though not directly in the eyes. Instead they both stare at the bottom of the box and bump feet with one another.

"OK, I won't ask right now. Look, I'm just glad you two are in one piece!"

Summer and Blue both relax a little and give me a faint smile. I call tell they are both tired by the look in their eyes, the exhaustion seems heavy.

"How did you guys save us?"

"We didn't, Blue. It was him," Green starts as Yellow walks over to join us.

"Ah man, you got to be kidding me! Aren't you supposed to be entertaining my sister or something?"

I see a vein form on Yellow's forehead, but he must catch himself and think of something soothing because he doesn't raise a hand or shout.

Our hero takes a deep breath and reaches a hand into the crate. Blue rolls his eyes and takes it to stand up then slowly he climbs out of his former prison. Summer looks at us with fear in her eyes, but Green reaches out to her, and soon she follows suit.

"Someday we will talk about your sister…it's not what you think."

"Whatever. Not now. Thanks!"

Yellow seems satisfied with that remark and gives a small smile before continuing.

"OK, so these guys are under Paralysis and..."

Whoooosh!

Three more of the International Police fly into Memorial Tower through the broken window and take position by the fallen generals. Yellow waves to them and walks over to Mr. Fuji.

"Hey guys! I'd like to spend some time with the doctor here and make sure he gets home safe. Can you take care of the Rockets?"

The IP silently nod and smile at us as they each grab a Rocket general and lift them onto their shoulders. These guys seems quite strong and do this as if it's a regular activity for them. They give a quick nod and then fly out the tower window with the bad guys in tow.

What are their lives are like? I remember how mysterious Looker was and now it seems like Yellow might have more to him than I originally thought. How cool!

"Please get yourselves some rest," he says turning back to us. "Go on! You take it easy OK! You've earned it after today."

"Thanks! I vote we go get some dinner and then pass out!"

Blue groans as he massages his scalp.

"That's sounds great!" Green says grabbing her belly.

It's at that moment I realize she is still in her fancy gown, and I'm in my dress clothes. Ah man! This was supposed to be a date night, and we didn't even have dinner yet! Green sees me looking at her and turns in surprise. We don't say anything and stare into one another's tired eyes. It's been a long, long day.

"Summer, come join us!"

We turn and look at Blue then Summer.

"That sounds nice...but I wish to stay here with my father and siblings!"

As Summer turns and starts walking over to Fuji, Blue runs up to her and tries to grab her hand, but she quickly rips it away like a dog protecting its bone. She freezes in place as if surprised by her own behavior and looks at the floor with wide eyes. When nothing happens she quietly says "I'm sorry."

"Hey," he replies, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I just want you to come with us."

"Summer…" Mr. Fuji interrupts.

We all turn to give him our attention.

"My dear, you need to have friends, REAL friends! Please go eat something with them. I know you haven't had anything to eat, and your brothers and sisters already had dinner. We're going to stay and talk to Yellow. We will be fine."

She looks to him and then to Blue who uncharacteristically remains quiet and extends her his hand. I don't believe it! Is he being nice?

"Please? I'm buying this time!" he says turning to give us a wink. Nice, free food! I feel a big smile come across my face and notice Green even do a little dance.

"I...o…OK, but then I'm coming right back!"

Summer runs to give Fuji a hug then waves to the other children before walking back to Blue. He offers her his hand quite slowly, and this time she reaches out her own. They walk up to us, and we all make our way back to the stairs.

"OH NO!"

Dozens of shadow people come running up the staircase! I almost forgot about them.

Unlike the previous Ghosts, these figures have red eyes and bear fang like teeth. They wail and raise their arms to the ceiling. Some shadows even appear to have claws for hands!

"Everyone look out!"

I instruct the group to stay back by stepping forward and holding my arms out wide like a floodgate. No one moves forward as the Ghosts fly towards me. I transition to my Nidorino Skill and begin forming Poisonstings in my hands. I try to form as many as possible before they get too close then start throwing the needles widely at the attackers.

"RED, IT'S NOT WORKING!"

"RED, GET BACK!"

I watch in horror as my quills go right through the Ghosts. Most of them don't even flinch and keep coming towards me. One gets close enough that its claws graze my face and all I can do is hold my breath as the others pass by me.

"ENOUGH!"

SMASH!

In the distance, I hear a voice cry as something makes a slam. I open my eyes to see the shadows pausing and sliding back from us. They all seem to be looking behind me so I turn to look as well.

Off to the side of the room I see a Pokémon attacking a black piece of technology I didn't see earlier. This brown lizard like animal stands upright holding a long bone like a club and wearing a skull over its head like a helmet.

What is that? A Marowak! It's a Ground Pokémon, but why is it here? What is it doing?

After several strikes the box powers down and goes dark. I look around and see the mist start to clear and feel the room get a little warmer.

Turning around I see the shadow people start to morph into Gastly. In their true form, the Ghosts look like giant balls of smoke with cat like eyes and big toothy mouths. Seeming to notice that they are exposed, the Gastly begin to vanish from the room at once.

"Marowak! Thank you little guy!"

I turn back to see Yellow reaching out a hand to the Marowak. He talks to it as if it is a person, but the Marowak state was blankly back at him.

"Too close…box destroyed."

We all stand in amazement. The Pokémon just spoke! I recognize the voice. It was Marowak that yelled "Stop!" earlier. I can't believe it.

"Marowak…you can talk! How is that possible?"

"Not important…Yellow."

"You know my name?"

The creature nods.

Yellow looks to his coworkers and shares some confused looks before changing gears in the conversation.

"OK, why help us?"

"Team Rocket...use Pokémon like weapons..."

The Marowak reaches into the box and pulls out a control panel that fell in. On the side, I see the words for two settings: "Capture" and "Attack."

"What is this?"

"Team Rocket wants to keep clones secret...Ghosts used for their deeds...Silph Drive."

"I see. This device makes them listen to instruction, the Ghost Pokémon that I mean. They were forced to ward off visitors so Team Rocket could hide Fuji and the clones here."

"Clones?" I ask.

"Oh for crying out loud!" Mr. Fuji interrupts. "They aren't clones. I won't let anyone leave here tonight speaking ill of these boys and girls."

The kids look to us as if they are in trouble. I can't imagine how scary all this must be for them.

"Now let me explain. I used to operate out of a lab in Cinnabar Island and people brought sperm and egg cells to me so that I could help them have children. I tried to clone...for people that passed away...but it didn't work. Not exactly, I only ended up making a genetic sibling of that individual if the child actually developed. These kids are normal humans. Team Rocket heard about my project and blackmailed me to work on despite my protest in secret or they would kill these kids."

Marowak nods.

"Correct…not clones…born in lab…Team Rocket wants to take."

"But if these children aren't clones and were normal kids born in a lab, where are their parents?" Green asks.

"Hey what about the fact that Marowak can talk?" Blue adds.

We're all wondering the same thing, but Fuji ignores him and responds to Green.

"That's the problem with people's expectations. The donors thought I could create adult replicas of anyone that passed away...a wife, a boyfriend, a teenager...When instead I made babies that weren't the same person, some took children I provided, but some just left them as if they were groceries they didn't want anymore."

"How terrible!"

Green brings her hands up to her face in shock. An uneasy feeling comes over me as well. I lost my Dad at age 10 due to tragedy, but I've never doubted that he and my mother loved me and wanted me desperately in their lives. To be left behind, it's unthinkable. I notice that Blue is tightly grabbing Summer's hand as she stares at the ground thinking about something.

"That's why I tried to stop, but Team Rocket wouldn't let me. Then they dragged poor Summer into their dirty work..."

We all look to Summer, and she looks up from the ground to us with her mouth open but says nothing. This must be hard for her to share with everyone here. Fuji continues.

"All she wanted was to belong. We discovered she was Erika's sister and made plans for her to visit her right when Team Rocket showed up. Instead they made her pretend to BE her and never allowed her to meet Erika. They forbid her to be anything other than a pawn in their schemes or they would punish her by coming for me. She was forced to spy on Dr. Oak and his family."

"That's not all."

We turn back to the Marowak. He points to the other setting on the control panel.

"Yes Marowak," Yellow asks. "What did Team Rocket want the Ghosts to capture?"

"No...capture Ghosts!"

"You mean the device made it possible for Team Rocket to catch the Ghost Pokémon and get their Skills?"

Marowak nods and sets the control panel down.

"Team Rocket needs Ghosts...Poison didn't work..."

"Poison?"

"You mean the Poison type? Team Rocket likes Poison type Pokémon because they have less weaknesses," I state.

Marowak nods once again.

"But Marowak, why do they need Ghost types?" Yellow asks.

Then it suddenly dawns on me.

"Marowak...you aren't really a Marowak are you?"

The creature stares at me cautiously then slows nods it head.

"I knew it! I saw you before didn't I?"

Marowak drops his bone club in the ground and starts to glow with a bright light. We watch as he shape shifts into Bill!

"HUH!"

"WHOA!"

"BILL!"

"But you aren't Bill either?"

Bill then glows and changes into Alfie! We all jump back for a second until we realize we're OK. Then he changes once more into...me.

"RED!" Blue yells. "THERE ARE TWO OF YOU!"

"No, who are you really?" I ask. "Team Rocket wants the power of Ghost Pokémon to catch you? Don't they?"

My copy gives me an uncomfortably big smile then nods.

"Yes..." he says then changes back to Alfie and turns to Yellow. In Alfie's voice he repeats something he must have heard from the Team Rocket, maybe even Giovanni himself.

"Psychic has two weaknesses only...Ghost and Bug...take Memorial Tower...take Viridian...take Safari Zone...GET THE SKILLS! GET THE SKILLS! GET THE SKILLS"

And all of a sudden a bright flash floods the room, and I have to cover my eyes. When I can open them again, the creature is gone.

"OK…" Yellow days rubbing his chin.

"Who or what was that?"

"Green, I'm not sure, but I think that was the Pokémon Team Rocket is after."

We turn to Mr. Fuji.

"I worked on a project to replicate the DNA of human as well as Pokémon. Team Rocket wanted me to build some kind of super weapon. Without knowing I helped birth a creature named Mewtwo. This Psychic Pokémon is incredibly powerful and has unknown abilities."

"I've seen him before," I say, "disguised as one of the Bill's. I think he wants to help us stop Team Rocket."

"Yes! He gave us a clue!" Yellow exclaims. "What so let's see...Team Rocket is going next for the Viridian Forest and Safari Zone for Bug types? I'll tell the IP right away!"

He pulls out a cell phone and calls someone then quietly speaks so I can't hear more than snippets.

"Hmmm...Nothing going on in Viridian City or that forest...ah! There was a break-in at the Safari Zone...dressed in black stealing Pokémon...OK, when I wrap up here, I'll head that way! Just let me call Daisy and…you did? Thanks!"

Yellow hangs up the phone and Blue runs up to him.

"Safari Zone! That's where Team Rocket is. We have to go now!"

"Hold on Blue! YOU don't have to go anywhere. We're not even sure if Team Rocket is there anymore. The report came nearly an hour ago and besides you all could probably use a break. Why don't you all take a breather? IP will check up on Team Rocket tonight."

"Yeah, weren't you going to get us all dinner Blue? You're not trying to back out on Summer and your friends are you?"

Green smiles at Summer then gives me a wink. The look of concern on Blue's face genuinely surprises me. She did the trick!

"Oh no, yeah, let's go eat."

"That's the spirit! If you still feel strongly about taking on Team Rocket, the International Police will take all the help it can get, but for tonight, please get some good and rest. I know I'll see you again and if I don't say it earlier, thank you!"

I give Yellow a thumbs up and we all respond with a "thank you" back before turning to leave. Blue grabs Summer's hand this time without protest, and they walk ahead of us. I hope to grab Green's but she follows close behind them not noticing my hand or simply ignoring it. I can't say for sure. I feel kind of bummed but maybe it's just late. Stay cool, I tell myself.

We make our way down to the bottom floor of Memorial Tower to find the caretaker waiting for us. She looks frightened and happy at the same time.

"I heard a lot of commotion up there! The Ghosts have started acting like themselves again. What did you do? Where is Team Rocket? Are these your friends?"

"Whoa hold on, I'll explain everything!"

Blue volunteers to answer her questions with a level of decency that makes me start to feel like we're being recorded for a TV show and not real life. I even look around for cameras, but of course there aren't any.

Once we tell her we need to eat, the caretaker points to the only restaurant open in the Lavender Town at this hour, Sheeban's. Apparently they specialize in breakfast foods or something. If the group feels as hungry as me, the place will be cleaned dry before we leave tonight!

We get to Sheeban's and sit down then the rest of night goes by in a haze for me. I'm not surprised that no one really wanted to talk given the hour, it's almost 3am, but I anticipated some questions about everything that happened today. Maybe we'll talk more tomorrow.

Blue walks Summer back to Mr. Fuji's house, and I walk towards the Focus. This time Green does take my hand, but she seems to be avoiding looking me in the eye. Staring forward neither of us talk until we make it to the counter at the front desk to check in. She turns around and gives me a yawn and forced smile.

"Oh my goodness...I'm going to get some sleep."

"Yeah, me, too! What a day!"

"Red…"

"Yes?"

Green shakes her head and whispers "good night." She quietly kisses me on the cheek and turns to leave without another word. Was she going to say something? What was it? Argh, don't sweat it, Red! She's tired. You're tired! Be cool and go to bed already!

And after a quick change and trip to the bathroom, I get into a pod and do just that. I sleep hard like a man that has never slept before.


	11. Back to Celadon and Erika

19

The next morning, I wake up feeling refreshed and ready to go. Getting a nice warm shower and clean clothes on helps me on the way to a hot breakfast up front. Sitting down in a chair with my meal and a coffee, I look up to see Blue staggering his way towards me.

"Hey loser, how's the grub?"

"Good morning to you, too! Not bad actually. I feel like a new man today! Did you sleep OK?"

"Ah...sort of. I actually got caught up talking to Fuji and..."

"...and Summer!"

He smiles and gives me a shrug.

"You really like that girl huh? You know you are the one that told me she was bad news. Kind of ironic don't you think? I mean she WAS spying on your family."

Blue sits down in the chair in front of me and sighs a serious sigh. Why does he seem so thoughtful? What did I miss?

"Well family is one thing you could call it. It turns out I was wrong about Summer. We have more in common that I thought. I have forgiven her behavior. She actually did want to be close to our family even though it was supposed to be a mission for Team Rocket or something."

"What do you mean? You trust her. I mean you were kissing her before Fuji revealed everything to us."

"TO YOU! I mean I admit when I first saw her at Giovanni's yesterday I was mad. When you both left, she told me the truth, and I didn't want to believe her. How dare she, ya know! But the truth is, both of us have many things in common. We lost our parents or didn't get to know them. We hate Team Rocket. Both of us got into something way over our heads. Both of us have people that say they are helping us in our lives but only to push they own personal agenda."

"What do you mean? What agenda?"

"It's my grandfather, Red! He's. It who he seems. He hasn't been telling us the truth, and he is somehow tied up in this whole thing."

"You mean with Team Rocket?"

"Yes, Summer was supposed to be a mole to monitor him. I don't know what he did, but Team Rocket holds it personal."

"What? Why your grandfather?"

"I don't know, but what I know from talking with Summer is that he gave us these Skillfinders for something more than just being nice."

We both look down at our trusted Skillfinders and their blinking displays. I didn't think to question such a gift when I received it, but then why didn't I? I have been rushing through this quest so fast I guess I never thought to.

"What does that mean? Hey Blue! Where are you going?"

"Summer wants to meet Erika...the real one I mean. She wants to finally meet her sister but doesn't want to go alone. I have to get the next badge anyway."

"I got ya! I'll catch up with you later if you don't mind. I'm going to stick around and talk with Green."

"Oh? Didn't you just tell her good bye? She left five minutes ago."

"What?"

"Yeah…hey man…good luck with that. See ya later!"

"Wait what? Hey Blue!"

But he's gone. I check my phone and see a couple of messages from Green. I look at a clock and see its 9am. I know it's not early but I figured I was going to be up and out in the commons area of the Focus way before Green. Did she really get up early and leave?

I check the texts.

"Red! Good morning! I apologize for not talking to you in person, but I knew if I did you wouldn't have let me go. I want to say this right so please let me finish before trying to call me."

Oh man, this is serious! Is this bad? Is she breaking up with me? I put my food down next to me and take a deep breath before reading on.

"Red, you are so brave and so good to me. Yesterday was a long day with some of the best moments of my life as well as some of the scariest. I am glad that I had you there with me the whole time, but there is something I must do."

Ah, what? What are you going to do?

"Yesterday I realized that the three of us are in over our heads in the fight against Team Rocket. As aloof as Blue is sometimes, he was right to travel on his own as I think he knew that was the best way for us to train and get better at fighting. I want to go back to doing this and develop some independence of my own."

Is this because of what happened at the Rocket base when she froze in the elevator? Green must feel embarrassed that she couldn't be more confident, but going off on her own now isn't going to help! Is she trying to persevere her pride?

"I don't mean to worry you, I just want to spend a week on my own. I talked with Yellow, and he taught me how to do that move Flash. I'm going back through the Rocket Tunnel to train and then from there in not sure yet but please don't follow me. I look forward to seeing you again in a week. XOXO"

I drop the phone on the chair and take a deep breath. Sitting around and making out crossed my mind this morning, but getting a "see you in a week" message couldn't be further from my hopes. I hear her concern about focusing on our training, but she also doesn't want to see me for a week after our first date. Ouch!

I pull out the phone and try my best to breathe as I text.

"Green I got your messages. I'm trying to understand. I want to beat Team Rocket, and I'll do whatever it takes. I'm not happy that you left after our first date and for a week, but you are a proud woman, and I won't stand in your way. I want to see you again, and I hope…I hope we can stay together."

A few seconds go by then I see the typing icon appear and pull the phone close to my face in anticipation. Finally another text comes through.

"Red, please don't worry. I'm sorry for running, but I will see you again and hopefully next time we can go out in our second date."

"You mean that?"

"Yes. I do! OK, for now please let me train alone."

We both text "good bye" to one another, and I take a long breath. I think I can handle a week of good old training. For the next few minutes I keep thinking of things to text her then finally decide that I have already said good bye and it's time to move on.

After accepting reality, I get to my feet. I can't complain or get upset now. I have to get serious! I'll make my way back to Celadon City and see her before long. Time to train!

Getting into my training clothes, I put my fingerless gloves and hat back on before heading out the door. I make my way over to Memorial Tower and slip into the door where the Teleportation Tile was last night. I walk up to it but nothing happens.

I step on the now dark tile a couple of times but don't go anywhere. Did it get turned off? Looks like I'll have to take the long road back to Celadon City. Great! I guess I'm not in any hurry now.

Coming back outside, I have an urge to go back into the main part of the Tower and walk around. Going in the front door this time, I'm greeted not by the caretaker from yesterday but a woman in a similar robe and staff in her hand.

"Hello your man, are you one of the people that scared off Team Rocket yesterday?"

It feels like a loaded question. I was here and wanted to help, but I didn't feel very useful. If anything I was more scared than Team Rocket  
was.

"It was mostly the International Police ma'am. I just happened to be here is all."

"The IP told me that you and your friends have been trying to help stop Team Rocket. You blew up the Rocket base in Celadon City so you're a hero in my book!"

"I…wait what?"

She points to a TV I didn't see before by the front door. I see a smoking building and people standing outside of what must be the club I visited last night. It burned down because of the fires we started? Does that make me an arsonist?

"Erika and the International Police showed up after some guests called in reports of strange shaking in the foundation. Everyone made it out fine, but the Rocket members either flew the coup or got taken to jail."

"Did they get the Rocket Boss, Giovanni?"

"I don't think so, but I'm sure that they will, and I know it's because of brave young people like you."

I sigh and tell the woman, Evelyn, my situation with Green.

"Ah that must be so tough young man but don't lose heart. I think you can get plenty of training right here at the tower. Please fight the channelers and Ghosts here. They will make you bold and brave to face any foe."

"Train? Here?"

"Yes, if you go upstairs, you'll see the memorials of those lost in war but behind me is the battle chamber. There you can challenge wild Ghost Pokémon or local Channelers who as you might imagine specialize in summoning Ghosts."

I agree to battle, and Evelyn takes me back to a door I didn't notice last time. Behind the purple painted door with a glass handle is a large room with tall columns and a familiar mist. I step forward, and I'm soon greeted by a Gastly.

The gas ball flies around me like a bee does a hive, and I feel an urge to swat it away but force myself not to. I'm going to take this beast's power and have to do it right. Pulling out my Bill Box, I grab a crystal and hold it in hand. Wait for just the right second to strike. Wait for it!

BAM!

I hit Gastly with the crystal when it gets close enough to Lick me on the face and watch it flinch in surprise.  
The creature whines and flies off as some of its power goes into the now dark purple stone. I wait a moment then crack it over my head feeling its powers enter my system.

In my mind, I see the shadow people and Gastly dancing around a camp fire in the woods in the middle of the night. This skill is definitely creepier than my previous ones, but there is no better way I can think of to master my fears of Ghosts then to learn how to fight like one!

I spend the next several days training in the battle chamber. Sometimes I just fight the Gastly here for hours on end, and sometimes a channeler group comes through, and I fight them. The skills used by them are mostly from Gastly though some also use Pokémon skills I've encountered before.

One fighter in particular comes to battle with a bone in his hand like a club. He explains to me that a population of Cubone live in tunnels under Lavender Town and that's where he got the Skill. After thinking it through, I realize that Cubone is the unevolved version of Marowak, the creature Mewtwo pretended to be the other day. As I tell the trainer about my encounter with Mewtwo, he tells me that Cubone always take the skills of dead Pokémon for helmets and a leg bone for a club, but seeing a Marowak in the tower had to have been an omen.

"What do you mean?"

"About a year ago, some punks came through trying to steal Pokémon including the Cubone. A Marowak tried to defend its kind and the men beat it to death. They chased it to front door of the tower and it died ugh they in front of the whole town. What a tragedy!"

That is sad! This Mewtwo is something else. I guess even Pokémon have feelings. He probably feels like Summer, wanted only as a tool for some scheme.

I agree to fight the trainer but quickly learn that he is quite tough for my current skills. After taking down my Charmeleon and Scyther skill, I transition to Gyrados. I have learned a new Water type attack called Twister which allows me to form a tornado like body of water out of my hands. I push it forward like a shopping cart at the trainer, and he quickly dodges. I form two more and he throw then his way. He dodges the first but can't escape the second.

Crack!

With that I win the match. We bow to one another, and I decide to take a lunch break at Sheeban's.

As I sit down to wait for my food, I check my Skillfinder and notice that all of my Skills except for Gastly are up to level 25. It's hard to train Ghosts against one another given the fact they tend to easily knock out the other. I'll try to train that skill on the road back to Celadon City. After a few days, it's become clear to me that that's where I last left my Monster Training journey as planned so I might as well go back there first.

"Hey stranger!"  
I look up to see none other than Mr. Fuji.

"Hi sir! How are you?"

"I'm wonderful. I'm actually sleeping at night for a change and so are the children. They have been helping double time over at the shelter but they aren't afraid of Team Rocket anymore."

"Shelter?"

"Yes, I operate a no kill Pokémon shelter next to the tower. People bring wild and domesticated Pokémon they find and drop them off for my care. Sometimes to board and other times because the animal has no home."

"Wow, that's kind of you! So people here keep Pokémon as pets?"

"Not just here in Lavender, son, but yes, they do. Anyway I appreciate you for your help the other day."

"I'm afraid I can't take credit Mr. Fuji. I nearly got myself and my friends killed the other day. We just weren't ready for them, and Green is off on her own out there hoping to get stronger. I've been training, too, but…"

"This Green you mentioned…is she the girl that was holding your hand? You like her don't you?"

"I...yes."

"Well she left town didn't she?"

"Yes, she went to train in the Rock Tunnel and then from there I don't know."

"You don't know? Why are you here and she somewhere you don't know?"

Fuji sits down at the booth with me, and when the waitress comes by he orders a coffee, black.

"She wanted a week to focus on training. I agree we need to train, but I miss her."

"Well then how many days has it been now?"

"I think today is day six. I was thinking of heading bank to Celadon City after lunch. You don't know how to get there do you? I got here by Teleportation Tile."

"Oh! That sounds like something Bill would make. Well you know you can just head west to Vermillion then up through Saffron and west again to Celadon. It would take me days, but you could probably make it there before night fall."

"Oh cool!"

"Of course I've heard that a giant beast called Snorlax has been blocking that path. You might have better luck running through the Rock Tunnel."

"Ah Green told me to go another way. She may not be in the tunnel, but I'd rather not try and find out. At least not for another day, and I feel ready to leave today. Is there any way to make Snorlax move?"

"There may be a way! Well...can I tell you a secret?"

I nod.

"Well let's be honest, without some sort of crane, the animal cannot be coerced to move. It's just so heavy and sleeps most of the time. I know because I treated it for poison at my shelter before it walked off."

"You've seen it walk? Did you do something to make it move?"

"Yes, I mean don't get me wrong he was royal pain and at first I thought nothing would move that animal from my shelter. The only thing I ever found that worked was this flute."

He pulls out a flute with his name carved into the side.

"I don't know how I lucked upon such a thing as this, but I got the idea that he might like music, and well I used to build things with Bill and one day he gave me this. I thought it was an ordinary flute, but it really got Snorlax moving. I've been so busy at the shelter that I've not been able to free up enough time to visit him across town."

"Why not give the flute to someone else?"

"That's the other thing! The animal won't move if you just blow through the pipe but he responds when I play this one song, the 'Siren Serenade.' No one in town that I've asked seems to know how to play flute let alone try to learn the song."

I laugh for a minute then explain to him how I used to play flute in school. He smiles from ear to ear like a child and hands me a slip of paper with notes on it. I look over the song and test the flute out for a second then begin to play the catchy tune. It's actually quite simple and soothing. It takes no effort to learn at all, but I quickly stop when I notice other customers looking at us.

"SORRY!"

They all go back to eating and act as if they weren't listening. One guy smiles and gives me a thumbs up.

"Oh that's it!" Fuji says, "You got it! Just play that, and he'll be sure to wake up and follow you around. Good luck!"

I leave the restaurant feeling full and confident to head back west at last.

20

I take the flute and head out west towards the edge of town. It's not long before I see him, the big snoring creature that completely blocks the path west to Vermillion City. A small band of men must have tried to wedge shovels under him to make flip out of the way because there are broken ones lying next to its belly.

"Darn thing does nothing but eat and sleep!"

"I need it to move. I'm going to lose my job if I wait another day."

"Should we try to burn it or something?"

I walk through the crowd and pull out Fuji's flute, and the chatter about burning Snorlax dies down as I start playing the Siren Serenade. I don't hit all the notes right the first way through, but after a while I feel like a have the hang of it.

Snorlax opens its eyes and slams its paws on the ground to help it sit up. The crowd jumps back as he stands up right on his hind legs and towers over us. Snorlax bares his teeth, and foams at the mouth. Why does he look so angry? I thought Fuji told me he would like this song!

SLAM!

Snorlax tries to fall on top of me, and I dodge his bulk by mere inches. He rolls back and tries to Scratch me with his terrible claws.

I get out of the way of the first two swipes but the next know makes impact knocking the wind out of me. Another strike knocks me hard into a nearby tree. I peel myself off of the itchy bark and roll out of the way as Snorlax precedes to strike me down with a heavy paw.

"OH NO!"

"SOMEONE CALL FOR HELP!"

I can't get mauled to death in front of these traders. I have to fight back!

I transition to my Nidorino Skill and barely side step out of harm's way in time as Snorlax Slams the earth with its colossal frame once more. As it tries to get back to its feet, I race forward and use Doublekick on its massive head.

Snorlax growls and falls back on its behind. As it Pounds the ground with its front paws like fists, I Doublekick again. Making a fist with my right hand, I feel a pointy mass grow out from my knuckles. I have can remember how Giovanni used a metal device with a similar shape to make a Horn Attack and decide to rush Snorlax in the same fashion.

BOOOOM!

He doubles back. I go in again with more Doublekicks. Several strikes to the head, and the beast finally turns and runs away through some trees. I take a deep breath and grab my thighs as Snorlax climbs up a rocky hill and disappears into the mountains.

"YAY!"

"Great job!"

"Hey aren't you Red?"

"Yeah, it's Red from TV!"

I turn to the small crowd with a smile and nod. They ask me about my training, and I learn that apparently I've been a hot topic on the news, and I've got a sort of fan base going.

"You know Red, we all want to know. How do you improve so quickly? You and your two friends are so much stronger after three weeks than most people are in a year!"

"I...don't really know..."

That is true of course. I hadn't thought about it much before due to my own excitement of just getting out there and seeing the world, but now things are less simple.

Team Rocket is trying to take over Kanto. My best friend is falling for a girl that was born in a lab who spent the past two years or so spying on his family. His grandfather is the one that helped us start our journey, but he hasn't been totally honest with us about his motives, and we seem to have some unfair advantage in training. The only thing I feel certain about it that I like Green though I'm not sure when I'll see her again. I make a mental note to text her that I'm on my way to Celadon City.

"So how did you know that Giovanni's was the Rocket home base? You know at first people thought that the club was legit and under attack by terrorists. Everyone thought you were a criminal!"

"What? No!"

"Oh yeah. Of course it was later revealed that building was some sort of factory for Team Rocket, and then everyone was glad that place blew up, but we believed in you Red! We knew you weren't the bad guy for a second."

"Yeah, and I know you're tough, too. We saw you take on Lt. Surge and beat him the first time through! No one has ever done that!"

"Really?"

"If they have, it's been awhile because I don't think so."

"Oh, we heard about what happened the other day at Memorial Tower! The Ghosts are back to normal, and those missing people got home safe."

"Yeah, nice job!"

"Yeah, well the International Police did all the hard work there. I was just present."

"Ah, this guy is too modest! We know you're a real hero, Red!"

I feel excited at the attention and the rush as people give me high fives and cheers, but I can't stay here. Now with the path open, it's straight ahead to Vermillion, then hopefully through Saffron again, and lastly back to Celadon. Can I do that in one day without trouble? Now that is the question!

I text Green.

"Hey been almost a week, and just letting you know that I'm heading back to Celadon City to catch up with Blue and maybe face Erika today. Hope to see you soon."

I wait a few minutes but get no response. Maybe she's busy? I hope she isn't going to act super technical and ignore me until tomorrow.

Focusing on the road ahead of me, I cut through some tall grass and see wild Drowzee. These Psychic Pokémon have long snouts and like to keep to themselves, but when they do come out they try to use Confusion on me.

Probably my least favorite Pokémon to fight other than Ghost of course is Psychic. Confusion is so disorienting with the bright lights and headaches. Ugh! What's nice is that when I'm using the Gastly Skill, the Drowzee aren't effective against me as they would be otherwise however whenever I do manage to use the fabled Lick attack on one, they pretty much always faint!

Deciding that this might be easy pickings, I take the next few hours to train just my Gastly skill and get it caught up with the others. Once I do I'm rewarded with the warm tingling and glow in my body I've come to enjoy so much. In my head I can see the Haunter form from the gall that was once Gastly. This big and pointy gas figure looks scarier than its predecessor and comes with floating hands to boot. Cool!

Feeling accomplished I decide to make my way into Vermillion City in time for a snack. I don't want to rest too long just grab a wrap at a food truck. Fish wrap of course! I go to the first one I see not realizing until I get there just how hungry I am. I just ate not too long ago. Hey, this trying is delicious! What is it? Seadra? Huh!

A few minutes later, and I'm heading up to Saffron. I have a sudden tinge of nervousness. Last time I came this way, I had the sneak around guards while stalking members of Team Rocket.

Now there are people peacefully waking back and forth on the route north. No sign of trouble. I get to the gate without as much as a dirty look from the guard and walk casually into Saffron City.

The buildings are still under repair from the explosions, but some of the damages have been fixed up, and the people seem less gloomy. As I turn a corner though, I get that familiar sense that I'm being watched.

Checking the reflection of the windows of various buildings, I keep seeing people looking my way once I pass them. The mailman, the police officer, the lady toting her baby, the man painting a fence...the list goes on. Am I hearing whispers, too?

"Red...at Giovanni's..."

"...just said he was at Memorial Tower!"

"He's not one of us..."

"I'm watching you, cutie!"

I stop on my heels and look all around me. That last voice was so loud and clear! I look everywhere, but no one seems close enough for me to have heard them. An instinct makes me look up, and I notice an unusually tall woman with long black hair staring down at me. She has chrome colored eyes and restrictive looking black dress on that covers most of her skin from head to toe.

I open my mouth to speak, and the woman vanishes before my eyes. What the heck? I take a minute to search around, but whoever she was she's gone now.

Once I decide it's time to move on and leave town to the west as before, I feel some relief that no one seems to actually be following now. The next guard politely waves me through, and I head down the road to Celadon.

I'm greeted once more by trainers and welcome the challenge. No one really puts up that much of a fight, but they have plenty of questions.

"What happened the other day?"

"How did you get back here so fast?"

"Where are your friends Blue and Green?"

I try my best to field the questions down to short and simple answers. The three of us split up to get back into training for a few days and "spread our wings." It's not entirely untrue, but I don't feel like giving a mass reveal of my life to every person I see. Once I finally get back to Celadon, I feel exhausted.

Cutting through town, I head straight for the Celadon Gym. Outside of the building which looks more like a greenhouse then a training center lies a large a small pond and rows of various crops. I read signs for different flowers but can't keep them straight. The fruits are more familiar: strawberries, blue berries, peaches, and apples.

Apparently Erika is involved in some sort of agricultural project in an otherwise urban environment sponsored by the local college, Kanto University. At one point I think Blue's grandfather taught classes there come to think of it.

Looking past the pond and a row of houses to the south, I can see some of the campus buildings in the distance. Some people may be visiting Celadon for shops or higher education, but as I wave at some students and enter the gym, I focus on why I'm here: to advance to my fourth belt in Monster Training.

When I make my way into the building, I'm greeted by the sensation of dirt under my shoes. The whole property from inside looks like a home that got taken over by plant life. As you make your way through the building, a dirt trail leads you to different locations over an otherwise grass covered floor. Tall hedges and colored trees form fences or since we're inside, walls.

A young girl in a kimono comes running up to me with wide eyes and an eager grin. A bounce in her step tells me she knows me before she blurts it out for all to hear.

"RED! YOU'RE HERE!"

Looking around the room, I see some heads start to turn my way and it dawns on me that I'm surrounded by girls. Squeals fill the room, and the shine of twinkling eyes becomes almost blinding. Questions come from every direction and the struggle to think and speak like a normal human being leaves me in a haze of euphoria and hyper-vigilance.

"Oh Red, I like your hat. Where did you get it?"

"So I heard you came here all the way from Pallet Town. Is that true?"

"Hi Red, are you seeing anyone right now?"

"Red, what's your favorite type of Monster Skill?"

For a minute all I can do is smile and nod as the crowd closes in around me. A sensation I can only compare to what I think drowning must feel like comes over me.

"Red! Hey you're here!"

I turn to see Blue behind the mob leaning against a hedge. For once in actually relieved to see him. Blue motions me over, and I carefully make my way over to him trying to be polite and brief as possible.

"Ha ha. Excuse me. Excuse me."

"Man, aren't you the ladies' man?"

"I...wasn't expecting this..."

"Well don't sweat it. I got the same treatment until Summer met with me then all the chatter switched to you!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, it seems you're becoming a hero on social media because of the Team Rocket stuff."

"Oh."

"Which is whatever, I mean I was there, too. Anyway you're here to meet with Erika right?"

I nod, and he walks me around the hedges to a courtyard at the back of the building. More trees make walls for the privacy of the room by circling around the edge of the room jutting out from the building walls into the city. I look up and see half of the room is covered by ceiling while the other half of open to the sky. Some bird Pokémon fly overhead at a casual pace, and I watch as they disappear over the tree line.

In the middle of the room are a small group of people standing around a very tall and thick tree with brown leaves that stops right below the ceiling of the room. Dead center is Erika and Summer talking to one another. Summer wears a black top and skirt on the left while Erika wears brilliant pink kimono.

As we enter the room, they both turn and smile at us though Summer also blows a kiss at Blue. I laugh as he awkwardly waves back instead of returning the gesture causing her to roll her eyes at him. He can't flirt with her in front of everyone? I notice some other girls in the room quietly laugh and talk to one another, but Erika the Gym Leader keeps her shimmering pink eyes trained on me. I've never seen anyone with pink eyes before. I suddenly remember the woman in Saffron and wonder if I have seen anyone with grey eyes either.

Summer waves at us excitedly, and I suppress my inner dialogue for the moment. As she walks up to me in her black outfit, I realize Summer wore this the other night only this time there is no "R." Erika follows close behind her "sister" and with each step I notice light reflect off of her kimono forming a little rainbow above her cropped black hair. In the face and hair, their build and height, the two are almost identical except for aforementioned wardrobe differences. This is too crazy!

"Hey Red! Glad you made it! We've been waiting for you."

"It's good to see you again Erica...I mean Summer. Wow, I knew it was you but was looking at Erika and…"

"Ha ha. That's OK! Really I understand. Just be glad, we joked about wearing matching clothes for a day and mesa with you and Blue just for fun."

"Oh great, I sense a prank in our future," Blue groans.

We all laugh.

"Those days are over I promise!"

Summer gives Blue a hug. As she starts to step back, he kisses her on the temple and caresses her face for a second making her stay.

"Yes, we have been waiting," adds the Gym Leader.

We all turn to face her.

"I am so thankful to be meeting my sister and now her friends. The media has been here already once today asking questions, and I know they'll be back. They expect me to be mad or something and want some juicy story I suppose, but I'm sadder for Summer and what she had to put up with. I'm so lucky to have such a sweet surprise of a sibling! Oh, but you aren't here for my family reunion are you?"

"I'm happy for you, but no, I am here for the Rainbow Belt."

"Very well, in that case, let us leave our company behind for now and do battle under my maple tree."

We wave to Blue and Summer and the girls still following me and the group under the tree clears some space for us. At last I will have a chance to fight for my next belt.

Erika stops and raises her arms high above her head like she herself is a tree sprouting branches.

"OK Red, let us begin!"

We bow to one another then Erika once again raises her hands above head. I make the mistake of staring as she begins to glow, and the tree overhead rustles.

Zip! Zip! Zip!

"Ow!"

I grab my face as a Razor Leaf cuts my cheek. Erika is using some skill that allow hers to summon leaves from the try and make them fly at me like small blades! I have to do something fast.

Zip! Zip! Zip!

This time I doge the floral assault and switch to my Charmeleon Skill. I reach into a pocket for a pouch of gas I just learned how to make and lay down a Smokescreen so that Erika will have trouble aiming her leaves at me then I jump high above the smoke long enough to see her. I'm actually impressed with how high I manage to jump as my foot looks to be at level with her nose. She looks surprised too and hesitates to redirect her attack. I take the moment to spew some Embers her way.

Crack!

I hear the sound of her first Skill break and look to see a monitor on the ceiling overhead show that she only has two Skills left.

"It's not over yet!"

I hear her yell and see a purple liquid come flying at me through the smoke. Oh no, it's Acid! I jump out of the way, but she keeps throwing more and more. Some Acid falls on the ground in front of my toes before I can catch myself, and I slide right into it.

"Ahhhhh!"

The poisons stings the cut on my face and my palms as I push my way back to my feet. Once I look up, I see Erika making her way to me through a clearing in the smoke. She holds up a single hand of some sort of dust then blows it right into my face.

"Ah man, what is this? I…I feel so tired."

"Enjoy some Sleep Powder, young trainer!"

My eyes feel heavy and try as I might I can't keep my head up. I fall down and pass out.

"RED! RED! Get up!"

I shake my head and find myself lying face down in some grass. I look up to see sandals and the bottom of a dress in front of my face. Erika!

Pulling arms back to my side, I recognize that my Charmeleon Skill has broken, and I now have the instincts of Nidorino. I ball up my fist and my knuckles merge together into a large spike as I jab at her shin with my Horn Attack.

"Whoa!" Erika cries as she jumps back.

I get to my feet and hold my horned fist in front while forming Poisonstings in the opposite hand. Erika readies another handful of the Sleep Powder, but I throw my needles at her causing her to drop the grain and get back. She pulls her arms up high with her fingers hanging down, and I watch as purple fluid starts to drip from her fingertips. She's making more Acid!

I rush forward and try to strike with Horn Attack then alternating by throwing a Poisonsting here or there. With each attack, Erika gently avoids my movements like we are in some sort of dance then flings some of the Acid at my chest when I'm right where she wants me.

"Argh!"

The Acid burns, and I resist the urge to rub it in which would only make things worse. I decide to switch tactics and transition to my Scyther skill. She starts building up more Acid during my transition, but I take her off guard at the crucial moment before she can strike by using Quick Attack! The fast tackle knocks her back on her butt and I hear another satisfying crack.

Erika doesn't stay down for long before getting back to her feet. She puts her arms out towards me and green vines come streaming out of her kimono sleeves at me like angry snakes. I try to dodge the vines, but I fail and get caught up in a Bind. In just a few seconds my whole upper body is completed encased. I feel my feet come off the ground as the Bind tightens.

I concentrate hard on my Scyther skill but nothing I think of works. I feel my chest emptying getting tighter and tighter. She's going to smother me! I can barely feel my fingers when I notice my ring fingers starting to twitch. In my mind, I can see Scyther attacking a tree by rapidly striking it with their scythes.

Chop! Chop! Chop!

The vines break loose, and I fall back to the ground and take a heavy breath. Erika's eyes go wide as I look at my now pointy fingers which worked to separate the vines from my flesh. Erika grits her teeth and sends more vines at me, but I use my new found skill as a Fury Cutter to dismiss them quickly. When Erika brings another group of vines my way, I lift my hand up to the sky and Cut them all in half just Captain Hakudo chopped the tree in half on the S.S. Anne.

"No!"

Finding a gap in between us at last, I use Quick Attack and again knock Erika back. This time I hear a crack and she remains seated on the ground.

"All right, you win!"

Yes, with the addition of the Rainbow Belt, I'm now half way done with this journey!


	12. Saffron City 1 (Sabrina)

21

After the match with Erika, I take the Rainbow Belt and add it to my collection in the Bill Box. This belt is solid white but reflects every possible color when flipped over in the sunlight. Sweet!

"Red, you are quite the trainer! I am glad we got to fight today and eager to hear more about your quest in the future. I'm certainly a fan! Have you noticed that you're kind of popular here at my gym?"

Erika chuckles as she looks back at the line of girls ogling me across the room. I'm not sure but did one of them just sigh? Oh brother!

"Hey Red, way to get another belt. You better zip on over to Saffron and get your fifth so you can catch up with me."

"Wait, what do you mean Blue?"

"While you were hanging out in Lavender Town playing with the undead, I got the Rainbow as well as the Marsh Belt. Way to be a Slowpoke!"

"Whoa! Man, is he serious?"

I turn to Summer who gives a smiles and a nod.

"Yes, he likes to stay busy. It's hard to keep up!"

She pokes him in the side making him flinch then runs off with Erika and leave us guys to talk.

"Man, she is something else."

"She is."

I'm expecting him to seem a little more excited about the fact the pretty girl likes him and is willing to follow him around everywhere. Is there still tension between the two of them because of her past? I hope he isn't staying so busy he can't see what he could have with Summer.

"Any word from Green?"

"No, not yet. Oh wait!"

Checking my phone as we're talking, I discover a text from Green as well as some from Mom including several voicemails. I tell Blue to hold on and quickly call Mom to update her on all that's happened with me. Doing my best to reassure her with "I'll be fine!" among other things you have to say to your mother, I finally get her to calm down. Once I get her off the phone, I go back to Green's message.

"Red, hey, that's great! I am happy for Blue and look forward to seeing you soon. Where are you now?"

I explain to Green how I made it to Celadon today and just beat Erika.

"Oh wow, you must have passed me because I just got to Saffron coming from Celadon myself! Did you get the belt from Sabrina yet?"

"Sabrina?"

"She is the Gym Leader in Saffron City."

"Oh no but, I was going to head there soon actually. Try to get two belts in one day!"

"Look at you!"

"Probably not actually, but at least that's the next gym for me."

"Cool! Can you maybe eat dinner with me first? I mean if you're not too busy."

"What? No! I'll be right over. Meet you at the west gate?"

"Yes! See you then."

I look up from my phone and see an annoyed Blue staring at me.

"Oh…sorry!"

"Green?"

"Yeah, she asked me to go to dinner with her in Saffron."

"Oh goodie! Thanks for inviting me, too."

He rolls his eyes.

"Ah Blue, I didn't…"

"I'm kidding loser. I'm going to leave for Fuchsia City in a few minutes. Got some business down there anyway as well and of course the next Belt is there, too."

"Business?"

"Yeah, I'm going to meet someone there for trading."

"Trading?"

"Yeah, I'll get some extra skills and trade them to other people for things I want. I was originally going to trade in Skills I had for ones I didn't have, but so far there isn't much need for that. It's not like I need to collect 150 different Pokémon Skills for any reason, ya know! Instead I've been trading in for these bad boys. "

He digs into his pocket and pulls out a small dropper bottle. When he hands it to me, I observe it close up, but it just looks like regular water in the container.

"They call this stuff Rare Candy. You use one, and it raises the level of one of your skills one point automatically. They're not cheap or easy to find, but they help you get ahead of the game."

"Sounds like cheating."

"Or being smart. Take this one on me."

I want to protest, but he keeps motioning with his hands for me to use it so I open the bottle and pour it on my hands. As I rub my hands together, I feel a slight burn in my arms and fingers then check my Skillfinder. The LVL icon next to Nidorino changes from 26 to 27. Cool!

"Hey Red, a bit of advice. When you get to Saffron City make sure to watch your back around Sabrina."

"Why?"

"Let's just see she's a little…special."

"Huh?"

What does that even mean? I try to ask him what he's talking about, but Blue has already turned around started walking off towards Summer. Whatever!

I have walked all over the place today, but the thought of dinner with Green has me determined to head east right now anyways. I can worry about Blue later.

Me and Green, just the two of us! Is this our second date? I can't wait!

I wave to my friends, and a girl that works for Erika quietly escorts me outside. Unlike the raving fans in skirts and fancy hair, this girl with straight brown hear and a quiet smile wears a kimono like Erika and gives off a no nonsense vibe. The girl walks me down a different path than the one I came in, and I start to feel like we're going the wrong way, but she reassures me to keep up.

"Excuse me, but where are we going?"

"Please don't fret, I'm taking you out a back door. There are spectators standing at our front door, and it's quite nosy."

I notice a monitor hanging on an actual wall of the building instead of the line of trees I keep seeing that shows an image of Celadon City. The screen shows the streets filled with crowds of people. What are they doing here? A blonde woman in a blue dress, a reporter I guess, appears on the screen.

"…if you've been watching you just saw Red get his forth Monster Training Belt this month! You know that Green got hers only hours ago not mention that Blue got his fifth one yesterday…"

Yesterday! Oh man, I am a Slowpoke!

"…This is an unprecedented record not seen sense their fathers were training years ago…"

Our fathers? What is she talking about? Did my Dad go through all of this training at a super-fast rate as well? He never really talked about his training now that I think about it.

"…we just finished talking with esteemed Professor Oak about his contributions to their training…"

A clip of a Professor Oak comes up showing him talking to someone behind the reporter. I hear foot steps behind me and turn to see Blue looking intently at the screen.

"…yes, Nicole. The Champion asked me personally to provide my research to him in any way possible, and I developed a Skillfinder that allowed for the three youths from Pallet to train at an enhanced rate. I'll spare you the details of how this works."

"But Professor, why prepare these trainers in this way and why now?"

"That's a good question. I…Champion Cohen requested all state employees contribute their expertise to fighting this new menace, Team Rocket. Last year they were mere characters of fantasy, a bad rumor. Now the enemy has shown their true colors, and we have to chip in however we can to protect Kanto. Make no mistake, these trainers like their parents will fight for this country. They have agreed to take on a unique journey to become defenders of Kanto. Please lend them your support…"

"What does he mean? He knew about Team Rocket before we left Pallet Town?" I ask to no one in particular.

Blue reaches out and flips the screen off. The flare of his nostrils and furrow of his brows shout his anger louder than his soft words.

"He lied to us. Gramps…Oak didn't want us to become trainers for our amusement or because he wanted to…whatever. This is all part of his plan."

"What plan is that?"

"He wanted to enlist us. We are his present to the Champion, tools for Kanto."

"It does seem a little dishonest."

Summer says matter-of-factly at first, but then seems to regret it and looks uncomfortably away. I don't know how to feel.

"We are working for Kanto. I mean that what we wanted right? I guess I didn't know all the details at first. Maybe I thought the trip would be more lighthearted and laid back, but it sounds like your grandfather really sees promise in us. He could have given those Skillfinders to someone else, but…"

Blue turns to me biting his lip for a second then takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. When he opens them, he makes the biggest smile I've ever seen him make, but somehow I know he isn't happy.

"Red, I will help Kanto and get rid of Team Rocket but not to help Mashmo Cohen or my grandfather. I'm going to do it because that's what I want to do! I'm going to be the next Champion and release the history of the war as well as all of the research that my grandfather worked on. There will be no more secrets and no more victims of secret projects."

Summer walks up to him and puts her hand to his face.

"You want to be the Champion?"

"Yes, I want to be the Champion! I want to be the very best, the best there ever was!"

"You're doing this all for your own glory? Monster Training is just about making a name for yourself?"

"No…it's not that! I don't want to just fight and die to have my name scribbled down on some wall only to be forgotten. People deserve to know what happened in the war, and I can't trust anyone to get the truth out there but myself. I don't know why Gramps did what he did, but there is more to this than we know. The Champion. Team Rocket. There is something missing here. There is something that we still don't know about."

"Blue…" I try to talk to him, but he turns and glares at me.

"Please Red, don't talk. Go and meet Green and keep on training. I hope that you'll come to aid me someday, but for now you have to get stronger. I'm going Fuchsia City. You should go there after Saffron City. Remember?"

"Right, OK."

"All right then. I'll smell ya later, Red!"

Blue marches past us through the crowd heading for the door without another word. The girls in the room all shh each other and take a step back to let him pass. Summer looks to me with troubled eyes, but we don't speak. After a moment of looking back and forth, she finally runs to catch up with Blue. Just as she rounds the bend, I hear a door open and then the boom of cheers fills the air.

Good luck, Blue, I say in my head and turn to go out the back door instead of the front like him. I just hope my hard-headed friend is going to be OK.

When I get outside, there are some people walking back and forth but no mob like on TV. Looks like Blue took them off my hands. For once I'm glad that he is getting special treatment!

"Red!"

Oh no! I've been spotted.

"IT'S HIM!"

Just as I take a couple of steps on the street, a few girls come out of a shoe store with sparkles in their eyes. Time to run!

And I do! I run straight past them and keep going as a few more people come out of stores cheering and shouting something. A police officer tips his hat to me then turns toward some fans and waves his hands to get their attention making them stop in place. As I pass the cop, I hear him say, "All right! All right! Let the trainer by."

I keep running, and within minutes I make it to the edge of town and stop to catch my breath. Bending over to rest hands on my thighs, I gasp for air for a few seconds.

"It's you!"

I look up to see a guard with a thick mustache and concerned eyes staring at me. He points behind me, and I turn to see more fan girls racing towards me. What is this? I'm not a rock star or anything? When I look back to my facial hair friend, he starts motioning me forward with both arms like a flight director. I give him a thumbs up and pass through the gate to Route 7, a road I can't seem to get enough of.

The next few minutes on the road between Celadon and Saffron go by in a blur. I do my best to maneuver around trainers and fans by trekking through tall grass and scaring wild Pokémon away in packs. Looking up to the sky, I notice that the sun is beginning to set.

I make it to the next gate and again pause to get some oxygen to my lungs. A guard comes over to me with a bottled water and offers it to me out of pity I assume, but I thank him all the same. At least he isn't trying to make me give him something so I could get into town myself. I'm relieved that no one is trying to stand in my way of getting back to Saffron City.

The excitement of being chased is a nice challenge but also a reminder I could spend more time running and working out instead of just doing Monster Training. I know that Blue is much faster and stronger than me given his strict routine, but how he manages to make time for that and travel like he does just blows my mind!

When I look up for a second, a pretty brunette in a red skirt and tights is standing in front of me. At first I can't even form words and just stare with my mouth open in a daze.

"Hey handsome! How are you?"

"Green…I…hi beautiful!"

"Ha ha! Hey, are you OK? You look ill."

She touches my forehead with her hand and smiles.

"These people…keep chasing me."

"You too, huh?"

Green smiles and grabs my hand to pull me towards her. I feel body bump against her chest and gently run my fingers through her hair with my free hand then pull her face to mine. I can taste her lips before in the space between us.

"I'm so happy to see you again."

"Yeah? It's been a week right? Ha ha."

"Yeah, why cut me off for so long?"

"I…I honestly thought I liked you too much. I guess I wanted to see if you went away for a week…if you'd come back."

"But I did come back…"

"Yes, you did!"

And with that, she brings her lips to mine, and electricity courses through my body. I take hold of her head with both hands and kiss her. We kiss like we may never kiss again, like air wouldn't work without kissing, and for a few seconds I forget where I am or why I'm here. In this moment nothing exists except the two of us.

Green wraps her arms around my back and cradles her head against my chest. In a whisper she says, "I missed you."

"I missed YOU," I reply.

"OK, want to try another date? Maybe a boring sit down and eat dinner kind of date?"

"That sounds wonderful!"

She pulls back from me and kisses me once more before tugging my hand and pulling me toward the gate to Saffron. I suddenly notice that we've been kissing in front of the guard and word to him, "Sorry." The kind man simply shrugs and smiles before looking behind me and dropping open his jaw. What is it?

"HEY!"

I look over my shoulder and see that another band of fans has caught up to us.

"GREEN! LET'S GO!"

She squeezes my hand as we run through the gatehouse into Saffron only to run into another crowd. It's clear now that we can't escape the fans. They cheer and bounce in place to see us, and all the excitement makes me feel uneasy. I want to leave, but Green stands tall and smiles at everyone and offers a friendly wave.

"Oh my gosh, there is so many of them! Do you like this attention?" I whisper into her ear.

Green turns back to me half way to reply, "Oh no, it's awful! Can we get out of here?"

As people run up to us, they start to ask questions and throw out comments left and right. It's hard to follow.

"Red, is it true you work directly for the Champion?"

"Green, did you start training for the same reasons or because you liked Red?"

"Dude, she totally did this because of Red!"

"I heard it was because her father is a big drunk and…"

I decide to step forward and cut off this fan boy before he can dig himself into a hole. I remember what happened in Viridian City like it was yesterday.

"Actually yes, Green and I both took our names from the Unit that are fathers served in during the Kanto War. They both fought hard for their country, and we all owe it to them to stand and fight when a threat appears."

Green squeezes my hand and drapes her body gently against mine. I can feel her heart beating against my arm and how she grabs onto me tightly like an anchor for a ship.

"Cool!"

"Yeah!"

"Are you two dating?"

"Yeah, are you boyfriend and girlfriend?"

I feel a little pressure from these questions and quickly look to Green. She awkwardly smiles and answers for us.

"Ha ha, yes!"

The crowd cheers louder than before, and she has to wait a minute before she can say anymore.

"And like Red said, I did start training out of respect for my family. I wanted to serve my country similar to the way he did…but I do I like Red obviously. I just didn't know he liked me until we started our journey. I call that a bonus!"

She looks to me with a blush, and I feel my body go numb from excitement as I smile back at her. Any doubt I have had about us in the past week is now distant memory.

The next few questions are much easier somehow.

"What's next?"

"Can we see your Skillfinder?"

"How old are you?"

"Saffron City Gym…sure…18."

After answering a few more requests and taking pictures with some people, we are finally released to get away when some police officers come to our rescue. I wave at them and some of the fans before pulling Green forward with me. Just as I am about to say something, a little girl in a pink dress and long dark hair walks up to us.

"Hello, my name is Lisa!"

"Hi, Lisa. Did you want something?"

"Yes, you are Green right? And this is Red?"

"Yes, that's right!"

"Good! My mother Natsume asked me to come find you and invite you over for dinner."

"Oh? Uh…do we know your mother from somewhere?"

"My mom owns a restaurant in town called Spoons."

Green and I look each other. Was that supposed to answer her question? Never heard of the place.

"Please come! She is eager to meet you."

Lisa reaches out and pats her hands on our legs as if desperate now. She stares into my eyes for a minute, and I accept that I have to listen.

Though the cops have disbanded some of the crowd and people have started to leave us alone, the thought of more crowds enters my mind. I can't imagine trying to go eat anywhere with so many people trying to talk to us. Green looks at me then back at Lisa then brings a finger up to her mouth as she ponders something.

"I guess we could go there. I mean I am hungry."

"Yeah me, too!"

"Oh, please come see! I'm told that mother makes the best food in town. She is famous for her pork shabu shabu!"

"Pork shabu shabu, I've never had that!"

"Wait, what is a shabu?"

"Shabu shabu! Ummm…well Red it's kind of like Fondue."

"What is fondue?"

"Please come and see," Lisa repeats.

"She's right. It's easier to see than explain. Come on Red! I can't wait to see you have your first shabu shabu."

So then it's decided. Off we go with this strange girl to satisfy our stomachs and maybe sit down somewhere in peace.

The walk to the restaurant is short so we don't actually talk to Lisa on the way. When we get to Spoons, I notice the restaurant is a small business on the bottom floor of a shopping center in the middle of town. From the outside it looks like a convenience store, but upon entering we see it's quite pleasant.

The shop section of the business holds incense, dried meat and fruits, and different cloths and fabrics. The place reminds me of something like a farmer's market in the few times I've been to one with my mother.

Behind the counters of the store however is an incredible looking restaurant. With smooth jazz playing overhead and the light of hanging lights in a dimly lit room, Spoons has the feel of a fancy reservations-only kind of dive. Throughout the room are rows of dark brown tables for people to eat community style and off to the side are booths that look like they are lined with gold.

"Whoa!"

"Cool!"

Lisa brings us to a booth, and we sit down as she smiles and walks off. Looking around the room, I notice two other couples eating and laughing at a table in the center of the room in nice clothing. The two guys have on grey dress shirts and blacks pants while the girls have on shiny pink dresses. Are they supposed to be matching? Is there a formal somewhere in town?

"Hey Red, what are you looking at?"

"Huh? Oh sorry, I just noticed the couples over there seem all dressed up."

She turns to look behind her and turns back with a laugh.

"Oh dear! We're underdressed."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Lisa brought us here."

"Right, right. OK, so anyway we're here."

"Yes, we are." I take her hand. "You know we just got a lot of questions a few minute ago."

"We did."

"I heard that we're dating."

"Are we?"

"I…thought so."

"OK good because otherwise this would be kind of awkward."

"Ha ha, I agree! So that means you're my girlfriend then?"

"Well I thought so…and that would make you my boyfriend."

"That makes sense to me. Well I'm glad that we figured that out."

The two of us laugh for a minute then, leaning across the table, we kiss a couple of times. I relish the taste of Green's lips on mine. Her familiar pine perfume is pleasant and soothing to my nose. Raking my hands through her auburn hair, I listen to the faint sounds of her moaning as she grabs my neck both hands. I love the way being near here makes me feel. I hear the sounds of footsteps and sense someone approaching and sit back resisting the urge the urge to keep kissing the beauty in front of me. When I look to my left I see waitress walking towards us. Like Lisa, she has dark hair though she has it cut short.

"Hi, there. My name is Ivy, and I'll be serving you tonight."

We smile as our server takes our orders. She quickly leaves and comes back with waters for us to drink. When we agree to have the pork shabu shabu, Ivy claps her hands and turns to leave with a smile.

"That must be a popular item here. I…"

"What is it Red?"

I can't help but stare as I watch the server passing the middle table in the room at the other guests. The two couples that were just sitting in the center of the room have separated and are now seated at separate booths at opposite ends of the restaurant. Green turns and notices what I see then frowns.

"Weird? Hey!"

When we both look back to our table a single slip of paper is in the table that wasn't there before. I quickly look all around us, but no one appears close enough to us to have dropped the note. I flip the piece of paper over and see the words "It Begins."

"What begins?"

"Green, look!"

I point to the guests as they all stand and turn to look at us with scowls on their faces. They all reach for their chests and ripe off their formal clothes like a shower curtain to reveal black uniforms on underneath. The familiar "R" logo of Team Rocket glares back at us.

"NOT YOU GUYS AGAIN!"

"Red, we have to fight! We have no choice."

We slide out of the booth and raise our arms to defend ourselves, but the Rocket Grunts stand in place like statues. Their faces are blank like they have no emotions or are in some kind of daze. What is going on?

One of the female Rocket members walks slowly towards us pulling something out of her pocket. I don't a second and throw a Poisonsting her way, but the girl simply raises a hand and a shimmering barrier forms in front her like a pane of glass and deflects my attack. Green raises her arms to ceiling and a ray of energy appears then turns into a cyclone of leaves. She brings her arms down and dozens of the Razor Leaves fly at our opponent as she quietly walks toward us, but Rocket Grunt simply reflects them all back to the ground.

I transition to Scyther Skill and run at the girl with hands like knives. Using Fury Cutter, I pierce the barrier at last and manage to make cuts on her arms and push her back. At first she simply holds her head as if I gave her a head ache. Perhaps she is Psychic and is using her mind to make the barrier? Bug moves are strong against Psychic Skills.

Green runs to my side and throws some powder at the girl not unlike the Sleep Powder Erika used on me earlier. The Psychic girl sneezes and stumbles backward then falls to her knees, but just as we think we've gained the upper hand, the three other Rocket Grunts raise their arms and a purple energy forms above them. They swing their arms and something like a current from an ocean comes rushing toward us. We can't escape this wave of Psychic energy!

I cover my face and close my eyes as a strange warmth comes over me. At first the warmth is scalding hot, but after a moment it feels invigorating, like a morning shower. When I open my eyes though I can see something very strange is happening because all I can see is a bright light where the room once was and the girl on her knees holding a card. I squint to make out the small print that reads simply "Joy."

I say the word out loud and the girl disappears!

We look behind the girl with card and notice that room has disappeared. Wait, where's Green? She vanished! I don't see anything for a moment and begin to panic. Am I dead? Where am I? Then just like a voice from above, I hear Green speak.

"YES! Oh father, you're home at last!"

I blink and open my eyes to see Green's hair as she looks in front of us at a door. We are now in a home I don't recognize, but for some reason it feels familiar. Have I been here before? I look at the door and see a man walking in from the sun. It's her father! He is sober and seems to be standing a few inches taller than before. He wears a button up shirt and dress pants and has big, stronger looking arms than the last time I saw him in Verdean City.

"Oh my dear, we missed you all!"

I turn to my right and see Green's mother. Like Green, she has the most beautiful brown hair and form. She and Green both have on purple skirts and bangles on their wrists. I barely know the Hayashi's, but right now they feel like my family. And…what is that?

I can't believe it! Green turns her body to face her father, and I see in her arms a small bundle of cloth and a head. A baby? Is this our child! Green notices me looking at her and baby and walks up to me.

"Oh my gosh! Red…it's real! I mean… How can I be so lucky? We're all home together!"

I step closer to her and wrap my arms around her and the infant. I want to be happy with her right now, but my brain is spinning. Is this really our child or maybe a child in our future? Is this something that Green is hoping for?

"Red, you may kiss the bride!"

"Huh?"

I turn back to my left and see my own father now! Standing in front of me in his uniform and beaming like a sun rise. I can't form words to explain my excitement!

"Dad! You're here!"

"Son, please! You're bride is waiting!"

I turn back around, everything is different again. We are no longer in her house, but outside. Green stands before me in a wedding gown, and she no longer has a baby in her arms. A thin veil covers her face and a beautiful gown hugs the frame of her body. Her brown her is pulled back behind her head in large curls and has a shiny gold flower pressed into the middle.

Looking to my right, I see a small group of people standing and watching us including our parents not forgetting Blue and his family as well. But something is off. We're surrounded by trees, and I have the feeling I've been here before.

"Where are we?"

"Red, were back in Viridian Forest dummy! Remember?"

"I…"

But before I can say another word, I look to the ground and see the root that I fell on just weeks ago. This is where Green got poisoned. This is the first place I put my arms around her and held her close. Where I think I first felt feelings for Green.

"Hey Red, you remember where you are?"

"Yes, Green dear, I do. I'm sorry for making you wait."

"That's OK sweetie! Please just tell me why you're so mad?"

"Mad?"

What does she mean mad? We're getting married! Why would I be mad?

"Please stop! Please!"

Turning behind me now, I see that I am no longer in Viridian Forest but in the middle of a busy street in Cerulean City. A tall man with a stick is striking an old man lying on the ground in the fetal position and despite his cries for help no one is stopping. This sort of reminds me of how I found Mr. Hayashi.

"Someone please! Help this man! Why let this happen?"

"You idiot! Do you want to get hurt, too?"

"Yeah, then mind your own business pal!"

"Ah, he probably deserved it anyhow!"

They all say empty nonsense, and I won't' hear it!

"I won't listen to your stupid excuses!" I bark back. "Stop that now!"

I dive for the tall man's whipping arm and latch onto it. Pulling back with both arms, he yanks me every which way with ease. I can't control him.

"Red! You jerk!"

"What?"

Looking to my side, I see Green in a black dress and heels like the one she wore back in Viridian City. What happened to her wedding gown? I don't know, but she looks just as beautiful except her face tells me she is furious with me. The man suddenly stops moving, and I feel myself relax until I turn back to look at him. Or her!

My hands are no longer gripping a whip but instead Misty, the Gym Leader's arm. She smiles at me and leans in close so that her body presses against mine. Her white bikini does little to cover her skin, and as my eyes trace the length of her legs, I force myself to stare at the ground.

"There you are!"

I swivel my head around and see Daisy in a yellow bikini come running up and casually shove Green out of the way nearly knocking her over. I look over Daisy's shoulders to see Green's eyes start to water.

"Green, I can't believe you!"

"I…"

"Oh my," Misty starts. "She really is just a moody one isn't she, Red?"

"Oh Misty," Daisy adds. "She's no better than a little child…a very plain child at that. I mean look at that hair, so straight and boring."

"Oh that's the word, plain! To think Red wanted to date a girl like that when he could be with me!"

"Yeah right! Red wants to be with me!"

"HA HA HA HA!" The both cackle like witches.

"Stop it…STOP IT! I don't feel this way. You are both pretty, but I don't want to be with either of you. I love Green!"

I try to pull myself away from them, but Misty reaches out and drags me back to her. Green just stares at me for a moment then turns around and runs away.

"Oh Red," Misty says caressing my cheek with her hand. "Please relax! You have nothing to fear."

"Fear?" I ask.

Suddenly the sky becomes dark like night and I see Green stop in her tracks. She turns around and walks back to me. Misty and Daisy let me go and fade away like steam which I watch dissipate above us. Green comes up to me and drops to the ground a few feet in from me weeping more than I've ever seen a person cry in my life. More than when my mother cried for losing my father at the funeral. What is wrong?

"Red…trusted you."

"Green…"

"Please don't…just leave!"

"Leave? Green, I'm not going anywhere."

She points to my side and I down to see that I have packed a bag and my Bill Box. I feel something in my hand and look to see a belt with white and red stripes. When I turn it over in the light, I see the word "Champion."

Champion? Do I become Monster Training Champion and leave Green? I throw the belt on the ground and kick the Bill Box aside.

"Green…I don't want this to happen. Come here. Please come to me!"

She wipes her tears and shakes her head defiantly.

"Please! Come here!"

Avoiding my gaze, Green finally gets to her feet and walks towards me.

Boooom!

The ground begins shaking and the street crumbles beneath me. I blink, and we're suddenly back at my house. My mother is balled up in the floor with her arms over her head. I hear the sound of people screaming, and without warning the windows bust open and fire floods in like a tidal wave consuming Green right before my eyes.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

"GREEEEN! NOOOO!"

I run into the flames feeling the singe on shoulder and reach out for her, but Green disappears in ash and smoke. My eyes burn, and I blink vigorously but can seem to get relief. Falling to my knees, I can feel myself getting choked up and start painfully coughing.

"Satoshi? Please…Satoshi…"

I hear a voice calling to me, but now the flames are too bright and too nosy for me to even tell where to look. I can't look! I can't see a thing. Is this truly it? Am I dying here? How terrible! If only I knew who was calling out to me. Do they need my help? I can't help you now. Please forgive me whoever you are.

"Satoshi? Satoshi, snap out of it!"

"Huh?"

And just like a bad dream, I blink and all that I've seen is gone in a flash. I open my eyes to see that I'm back at the restaurant with Green holding me in her arms on the floor. With one arm wrapped around me and squeezing me tight, she does her best to use her few hand to wipe tears from her face. I take a deep breath and sit up as she sits down next to me and kisses me on the cheek.

It's her, oh, it's truly her! We're safe! But why did she call me Satoshi?

"Green, what is going on?"

"Satoshi...Red…you were in a daze for nearly a minute, and you didn't answer to Red, but I called you by Satoshi, your birth name, and you woke up!"

"I did? What happened to me? I saw these amazing…and terrible things!"

"It's OK! I did, too! I just came to before you did."

"You called me Satoshi," I repeat.

"Yes, I remembered you calling me Kyomi at the Rocket Base. I don't know why, but if most people call me by that name I feel disrespected. When you called me by my birth name, I felt something warm. I felt connected to you, and so when you didn't respond to Red I just had to see what happened. You woke up!"

"I think I feel the same way as you. I like people to call me Red, but with you…I guess it's just different."

"I'm glad. I saw such terrible things. I thought…I thought it was real. I thought we died. I thought I lost everyone. I thought that you…"

"That I left you?"

She nods.

"Green…Kyomi, I couldn't leave you. Where would I go?"

"Ahem!"

I turn to my left to see Ivy once more. She smiles as Lisa comes running out from behind her with a worried look on her face. Ivy puts her arms around the girl as she turns around to bury her face in the lady's skirt.

"Mommy, they saw terrible things! Is it over? I don't want to see anymore."

"Shhhh, darling. The drug seems to have worn off, but why don't you go on upstairs and get ready for bed. Mommy, will join you after aunty and I talk to them."

Aunty? Mommy? Is Ivy the owner of this restaurant? Why act like a server? Why drug us?

"OK!" she says and turns to run towards a door at the front of the building as "aunty" walks in.

I can't believe my eyes. It's her! The girl I saw earlier on a fire escape leering over me is now standing in front of us in a shiny pink dress. She has long black hair that falls straight down her back and a face that matches Ivy's. They must be sisters. The tall woman walks toward us like a panther getting ready to pounce on its prey. I don't see her blink once.

"WHO ARE YOU TWO? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"

"Ah Green, glad to meet you officially. I am Ivy and owner of this fine restaurant not a server. I apologize for the mystery, but the drug that my daughter gave you had just started to take effect when we met, and I didn't think it was necessary to explain myself until now. It is clear from this testing to me that you two have strong bond between you even given your age. I am most impressed with you, but my sister wishes to test your further about your commitment to your mission."

Testing us? What drug is she talking about? Checking my arms and legs, I notice an odd sensation on my pant leg. There is some sort of clear sticker. How did I miss this? Did Lisa put this on us when she met us the first time? I show Green, and we take the bandages off.

"This was all planned? I don't understand Ivy. And who are you? I saw you earlier. You were stalking me!"

"My name is Sabrina."

Her mouth doesn't move even though I hear a voice as plain as day! Why doesn't her mouth move? Sabrina? So this is the person Blue wanted me to watch out for. She is the city Gym Leader right? Isn't she supposed to be a good guy? Why did she do all this? HOW did she do all this?

"Ivy, go ahead and put Lisa to bed. Thank you for your assistance tonight!"

Ivy nods and turns to leave then stops and looks back at us.

"It was a pleasure to meet you both. I hope you can forgive us for the delay and otherwise enjoy your meal!"

Meal? I almost forgot that we came here to eat. A sudden pang in my stomach makes it clear that I am still quite hungry despite my desire to leave this place and never look back. The nerve of these two!

"Sit!"

Sabrina motions for us to sit down at a community table and makes her toward us and sits down next to Green. We sit in silence for a moment as the Psychic grins at us. I wonder does she ever open her mouth to speak or always do this creeping mind-talking thing.

Sabrina doesn't say a word when she raises her hands to the sky like she is lifting two large trays over her head and holds them there. After a few seconds, I hear a rustling noise in the kitchen and see something coming toward us. It's a pot! A large pot of bubbling water flies into the room and sits down in the middle of the table without any help followed by plates, utensils, and napkins. Next is a pork shoulder, a basket of vegetables, and a small bag of spices.

When I look back over to Sabrina, I notice her hands are moving in conjunction with vegetables as they fall into the pot with the meat and spices. She is moving these ingredients around with her mind! How is that possible?

"You've never seen Psychic abilities before, have you?"

"I…no."

"Let me try to make you feel more at home then."

Sabrina lifts her hand and a glass of wine appears from the kitchen and gently dips into her hand. She takes a sip and sets the glass down with her own hand and sigh then opens her mouth to speak.

"Is this better?"

"You can talk like a Normal person!"

"I can! Yes, surprise. I think you two have seen enough tonight so I'll try my best to revert to more…traditional habits for now. Maybe I could tell you about my plan then."

"Yes…"

She cuts me off.

"So first off, I have developed a few different abilities and talents by focusing on the raw and unique powers of Psychic Pokémon such as Alakazam."

Sabrina picks up a spoon and holds it before us. At first I don't see anything special, but then I notice it begin to bend and bend until head of the spoon dips over the back of her hand like a wish bone. She did this with her mind! I have never seen this happen before, but I remember hearing on the radio once that Alakazam, the final evolution of Abra and Kadabra, muscular cat looking creatures, has strange powers that allow it to levitate, Teleport, recover wounds and energy, and even move things in the environment.

"I incorporated some of the Powders from my Venomoth Skill into a hallucinogenic substance that I gave Lisa to use on you. The drug is safe in the dosage I used on and when used in conjunction with a person with my abilities, whole streams of thought can be explored and challenged. Though some would call this mind reading, your brain is not simply a book I can pick open and look through. The Psychic Blend I made allows me to prompt your mind a direction like I would during an interrogation, and your mind unless trained to resist me will 'look' in certain directions telling me about your intentions. This can actually be educational for you as well as me."

"Wait hold on, Venomoth is Poison-Bug thing, but you are a Psychic Trainer. I don't understand. Also, you made a blend to interrogate us?"

"Yes, Green. I specialize in Psychic Skills, but most trainers try to have some variety. As for the blend, I won't tell you the ingredients, but know that I am quite experienced at using it."

"How is that possible? Aren't you supposed to be a Gym Leader? Where do you get the time to focus on hypnotic drugs and stuff like that?"

"Good point! First off, the Psychic Blend works in tandem with my abilities. My Foresight allows me to make things that your mind tells me into images that I can display on the wall."

"What you mean like a projector?"

"Yes, actually. Observe!"

Sabrina raises a hand and points at a wall to the side. We see first a flash of light then Green and I standing together in Viridian Forest in a tuxedo and dress. The image is from the vision that we had earlier of our wedding. The one we haven't had yet or even discussed. I look over at Green, but she is too focused on the image to even notice me.

"The drug makes you more susceptible to revealing information to me when I prompt you with a trigger word such as joy or fear. I may not be able to simply read your mind like a magazine, but if I ask you brain something it can respond like in a conversation where one waits for the other speak then talks back."

"Wow! I still feel kind of violated, but that is amazing that you can do even do that!"

Well I've only been the Gym Leader here for a few weeks. I'm afraid the previous Gym Leader, Kolchi Augus, died in the attack on Saffron City. The previous city gym focused on the use of Fighting Skills, but when Kolchi died, his students refused to appoint one of their flock to replace him. The International Police tried to recruit different people to step in, and I happened to be available. With my Psychic abilities, I easily defeated all of the Fighting Gym's trainers in one bout and was elected Gym Leader. Since then trainers have switched camp if you will to train under me though you can still go to the old gym across town and fight some of Kolchi's old students."

"Whoa! Wait, you came here from the IP?"

"Yes, that is where I got my experience. I have been used to fight, detain, and interrogate enemies of the state for a few years now."

"Years? But you seem about as old as the two of us!"

"Well Green, thank you! I'll take that as a compliment. I am actually just a few years older than you though I got involved in Monster Training when I was a little girl and had great promise. Typically the IP doesn't recruit anyone but adults with training and experience, but they made an exception for me."

"Sabrina, I don't mean to cut you off, but I have to know," I start. "Why interrogate us? Do you think WE are enemies of the state?"

The Gym Leader cuts me a dirty look across the table as she reaches for her bowl to get some of the shabu shabu then sets it back down. I may be returning the look myself, but I don't care. Green who has already started eating her first bite stops chewing her food and stares at the two of us.

"Because Red or Satoshi Himura, Jr, which ever name you go by these days, today on the afternoon news as well as the past several days, all Kanto seems to care about is two things: Team Rocket and three amateur trainers from Pallet Town. I've been tracking that organization for the last year and made minimal progress in shutting them down, but when you received your Skillfinders from the world famous and somewhat reclusive Dr. Oak, Team Rocket began breaking and entering different buildings all over the country. When you confronted them in Pewter and Cerulean City, they escalated the situation by attacking Saffron City. I showed up on the scene, and things seemed calm for a while, but when you went on a cruise, Dr. Fuji went missing in Lavender Town and reports of Ghost-human attacks started for the first time in the last 50 years. And when you confronted them at the Rocket Base and then Memorial Tower, Team Rocket vandalized the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City as well as various parts of the Viridian Forest."

"Are you saying that because we tried to help, we forced the hand of Team Rocket? Come on now! That's not right!"

"But it's not that simple. When you attacked and destroyed the Rocket Base, everyone who may have been unaware of you or Team Rocket suddenly got a pair of eyes. Everyone is watching you now. When you get your belts in a matter of days and fight Team Rocket directly you encourage people to think that either you are going to be their heroes and trust in you over our government or that anyone can start training today and be their own heroes!"

"What? That isn't what we're trying to do!"

"Regardless of what you may think you have gotten into, you cannot simply fumble around in the public eye. If you were to quit on your journey or worse to be publicly defeated by Team Rocket, the people of Kanto would be devastated!"

"We aren't going to quit anything!" Green pipes in.

"Yes, you saw our minds. I wish you hadn't, but you know how we think despite what we are up against! Please don't try to talk us out of our training now."

"Well…I have to admit that I was thinking you were both just some dumb kids with fancy Skillfinders and dumb luck, but your minds reveal characters of substance."

"Thanks…I think."

"It is clear to me that you two have strong feelings for each other two, but there is some sensitivity there. Nothing unusual I assure you. I am curious, have you fought much about marriage or children yet?"

"Um…"

"I think what Red is trying to say is that we really haven't talked about those things at all."

I try to look in her eyes, but all I see is dread as she looks down at her food. Sabrina quietly takes her first bite of food at last then makes a devious looking smile. What's on her mind?

For the next several minutes, I try to eat my shabu shabu which actually tastes really good while enduring this awkward conversation with Sabrina. Ivy comes down and has a bowl with us briefly then quickly leaves us alone again to go clean something. Our conversation goes back and forth with Sabrina interpreting our minds and her accepting that we may actually be decent candidates for whatever experiment Oak signed us up for. I guess I should feel appreciative or something.

What is more interesting to me though is the fact that Green and I haven't talked about marriage or children, but the idea is on both of our minds. She is afraid of me cheating on her or leaving her to pursue others passions, and I'm afraid that Kanto will fall into unrelenting chaos and lose people I love in the process. She doesn't look at me directly most of the night, but I notice when I put my foot forward under the table, Green brings her leg forward and wraps hers around mine.

"It has been eye opening talking to you both. You must stay in Saffron City and train. Train at both gyms with students of Psychic as well as Fighting abilities. Get stronger each of you. Kanto needs people like you."

We thank Sabrina after a night of mixed emotions and good food and head out. Green and I walk down the street to the local Focus. Though it's dark, Saffron has many buildings with lit up windows and street lights almost as if it were day time. How do people sleep here? The walk is quiet and difficult for me. I'm so tired, and though I didn't appreciate Sabrina reading our minds, I sort of want to know what Green is thinking about. As we approach the front door to the Focus, I try to break the silence.

"Long day huh?"

"Ha, yeah!"

"You OK?"

"I…actually I feel kind of sick. I mean my head is still reeling from those visions, but my stomach also feels really bad."

"I hope it wasn't the food."

"Oh, I don't think so…did you like the shabu shabu? I never asked you!"

"I did! It was really nice. I…just wished that we didn't…I mean on our second date as well…"

"Yes, I know what you mean. Red, we should talk about all of this…I mean what Sabrina saw in our minds."

"Green, I just want you to know. I mean you got to know me more tonight…like really know me, and maybe you didn't want me to know you that way, maybe it was too soon, but you know whatever. I just want you to know that after what I saw tonight, I don't feel any different about us. If anything I feel closer to you. I intend to stay here like Sabrina suggested and train for the next week or so and get my fifth belt, and I want you be by my side. That being said, I understand if you want to take another week to…"

She shakes her head as she puts a finger over my mouth and gives a playful smile.

"No, I'm not going to leave for a week again. I'll be right here tomorrow. I promise."

I grab her finger and kiss it.

"OK, good."

We check in at the front desk, and then turn to head down separate halls to sleep. I can't keep my eyes off of Green, but I'm so tired that she is starting to get blurry looking. If she tries I talk to me or kiss me I won't be able to leave. I can see hesitation in her steps as well, and I'm about to say something when turns around and looks at me.

"OK Red, get some sleep! Good night!"

"Good night! Love you!"

Wait what did I just say? I didn't just say that! But I look at Green and see her mouth wide open. Oh I did! What now? She heard me say that earlier when Sabrina turned my deepest feelings into home videos and now from my half delirious mouth. What will she think of me now? And just as I feel like my I might pass out from pure nervous overload on my psyche today, Green makes the most wonderful smiles. She walks right up to me and kisses me deeply for a moment that soothes my body and mind.

"And I love you. Have a good night."

"Good night!" I nervously repeat.

Her words are soft like a blanket on my heart. I don't care if Sabrina hit my brain with a club or if walked for three days straight, today has officially ended on good note!

Green looks over her shoulder at me once then practically skips her way down the hall. I can't believe this happen. I'm so excited! Oh, I can't wait to face tomorrow and all that is coming our way.


	13. Saffron City 2 (Battle)

22

And for the next several days we trained. We spent time at the Saffron City Gym in the west part of town fighting Sabrina's students with moves they learned primarily from Psychic Pokémon. I say primarily Psychic because I learned the hard way that some have other abilities as well. A couple of the trainers specialized in the skills of Slowpoke and Slowbro which are part Psychic and part Water.

Slowpoke are one of the animals I've seen on TV that don't come across all that impressive. A dumpy, pink animal that sits by the sea and eats fish or sleeps all day isn't all that cool to me, but they can still pack a wallop when they use Water Gun or Confusion on a predator. Now should a certain clam creature called Shellder attach to a Slowpoke tail, the two merge into new evolution called Slowbro which is bigger and more powerful.

The trainer I fought today had Slowbro skills which allowed him to wash out my Charmeleon skill quite easily and then damage many more of my other skills before I stopped him with my Scyther Skill. With several strikes of the Fury Cutter move, I finally beat him but just barely.

"Good match, Red!"

The man bows to me, and I return the bow.

"Hey Red," Green says between panting. "Want to take a break then head to the old gym?"

"Sure Green, mix it up. Sounds nice!"

We both get into recovery beds to refresh our broken skills and sore muscles before grabbing some lunch at a food truck. After a nice meal and some time to walk off the food, we head east across town to the other gym.

Apparently before Sabrina came to town and recruited Psychic students, the Saffron Gym once specialized as a Fighting type gym under a man named Kolchi Augus. Unfortunately he died during the attack by Team Rocket, and many of his students were left without a sensei. Despite the hardship of losing such a friend and role model however they kept the facility up and running for young trainers like us to come and fight. Now instead of the Saffron City Gym the trainers refer to it simply as the Fighting Dojo.

We're now heading to the Dojo for the fourth time this week. It's getting to the point that I know my way around town like I do Pallet despite it being 5x the size of my home town! Sometimes the media or fans run up to us, but we have learned how to brush them off politely and efficiently by now. People are always watching our every move, and I make a mental notes to not pick my nose or say something careless in public, but I'm slowly but surely getting used to this life. It's not so bad. You just have to be ready for people to show up sometimes and ask you random things.

"Red, I saw that you and Green have been raising your Skill levels day and night. The last report was that in a just over a month now you have brought all of your skills up to level 30! Is this correct for both of you?"

But this guy is wrong. Our Skills Levels are more in the mid 30's actually. Actually much to our delight, we have experienced some Skill Evolutions with huge surges in power as well as learned new moves. Green's starter Skill finally reached its final form, Venusaur causing her to grow slightly stronger arms and legs though I assured her she didn't look less beautiful. A Venusaur is similar to Ivysaur but the growing flower on its back has fully bloomed not to mention that the size of Venusaur is taller than the average man and immensely heavier. With the power of that beast coursing through her veins, Green can harness solar energy allowing her to use a devastating energy beam called Solar Beam. It takes time to charge but put down just about any fighter no matter how tough.

I was so fortunate yesterday to witness my Charmeleon Skill finally transform into a Charizard which is about as tall as a man but much bigger and has the added benefit of wings! The flying dragon creature should be able to Fly and do winged strikes, but I have had trouble figuring out how to get off the ground and use said moves. I just know that my base level stats went way up, and with Charizard's Skill in my body, I feel stronger and faster than before. I can't wait to see what I can do with this Skill once I get more practice. But first I have to deal with these people.

"What did you say 30? Well actually it's more like 36, but…"

"AMAZING!"

The reporter acts like she might have a heart attack, and it's all I can do to not roll my eyes at her with the camera pointed at us. The group following us has appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but if we keep the conversation short they will eventually go on about their day.

"Isn't that like a record or something?"

"Yeah, it took me a month to train one Skill to level 30! UNFAIR!"

"That has to be hard on your body!"

"It's your Skillfinders right? Man, I want one just like you guys have!"

I realize that telling them our levels may be inappropriate now, but I've already said it.

"Oh, there's the Dojo!" Green blurts out. "OK everyone, we will see you later!"

Just as I recognize that we are back at the old gym, Green grabs my hand and pulls me in the door. I try to force a smile and wave at the crowd before stumbling in the door behind her. Green lets out a small groan once the door closes behind us and the crowd starts to disband.

"Ugh, I never thought having people like me would be so annoying!"

"No kidding!"

"Red, you have to stop talking to them. It only makes it worse."

"I know. Sorry!"

"It's OK. Love you."

"And I love you!"

She says it as if to reassure me, but she doesn't have to. We have gotten used to the "love" word over the last two week. We've actually had some nights together to talk and go out to eat without fighting bad guys for a change. It's been great! In fact I've never felt better than this week. We've spent our time training beside by day, exploring the town by night, and usually having a make out session or two when we get a chance.

"Well hey there, guys! Back for more?"

We're greeted at the door by Mike, one of the Dojo's students. He is similar in height and weight to me though he has blonde hair and green eyes compared to my black hair and black eyes. Mike has on a white gi with a purple belt around his waist to signify his training. He is well studied in Karate but he's not as good at Monster Training as me, and a little behind his senior trainers whom we'll be fighting today.

"So who's fighting who?"

"Well last time I fought with Hideki…maybe Hitoshi this time? That OK, Green?"

"Go ahead Red! I'll take on Hideki this time."

"You're in luck! They're both free! I'll go tell them you're here."

Mike walks us down the hallway to the main room with tall ceilings and a half dozen large mats for people to practice on. To my left is a see-through wall separating this room from the fitness center and its many weight benches and exercise machines. To my right are some chairs and tables holding medical supplies and snacks. Hideki and Hitoshi wait for us as well as some other fighters in the center of the room all wearing different colored gis and belts. Most of them wear a white gi with yellow belts though Hideki and Hitoshi each wear a blue gi with a black belt.

Hideki and Hitoshi have spent the last several years under Kolchi perfecting separate but equally powerful fighting moves. They've even modified their appearance to look more physically like their favorite Pokémon. Hideki, a tall and slender bald man with dark skin has trained in Karate as well as Taekwondo. This has allowed him to add push back power to his Hitmonlee Skill moves which centers on kicking strikes.

In a similar fashion, Hitoshi has mastered Karate as well as American Boxing giving him an edge in punches and fist strikes. The spiky haired man has harnessed the various abilities of the Hitmonchan, and he's the one I'll fight today.

Mike goes over to Hideki and Hitoshi and whispers to them. The two nod and walk toward us. Hideki motions for Green to take one mat and me to take another. We don't talk but quietly obey.

"Matte! Matte!"

Hideki instructs those training on the mats to stop and then waves them over to step off as we approach. The students nod and quickly get out of the way. They all want to watch us fight.

I look over to see Green and Hideki stand face to face on the other mat. Part of me wants to just stand by and enjoy the show. Training is so entertaining in general, but it's just an added bonus that I have this hot girlfriend fighting beside me. She has become so confident with her abilities in the last few weeks, and I love watching her use them in those tights she bought in Celadon!

"Red! Are you ready?"

"Oh! Sorry Hitoshi. Yes!"

I force my head to swivel back to my opponent and concentrate all my energy on the fight with him. We bow to one another and listen for Mike to tell us to begin.

"Hajime!"

We're cued to begin and checking a display behind Hitoshi, I notice three green dots or skills under his name just as he rushes me. Hitoshi brings his elbow up towards my face close then quickly snaps his fist at my chest and back. I dodge the attack but his next Karate Chop hits me square in the nose.

"Owwwww!"

I unconsciously grab for the hurt appendage which only allows him to deliver a quick session of strikes to my abdomen. Argh! This has to stop! I open my mouth and release a cloud of dark Smokescreen to level the playing field.

Jumping above the smoke, I spot Hitoshi and just as he sees me, I shoot Embers at him. He covers his face to protest against my attack for a few seconds then blindly jumps up in the air and swats at me like I'm a giant mosquito. Though he fails to touch me, the move makes me jump back and throws off my balance.

As the smoke starts to clear, Hitoshi sprints toward me hoping to get the drop on me. I have just enough time to shoot one last Ember at him before he makes it to me. He pauses in his tracks covering his face giving to jump forward and clap my hands together with a loud boom. A shattering gust of wind burst from the impact knocking him back.

Crack!

Hitoshi takes a step back to recover as he transitions to his next Skill which allows me to run at him with a Scratch. I land the first one, but he grabs my arm on the second move and flings me to the ground.

Crack!

I transition over to my Gyrados Skill while he has me pinned to floor face down with my arm behind my back. Spinning around I Bite his arm getting him to release me from his grip only to have him grab my head and slam me down once more on my face. Ow! This Close Combat nonsense is making me look bad and hurts my pride as well as my head. Ow, my head!

In my mind, I see an angry Gyrados moving its body violently against the water and crashing into ships. I concentrate on the rage and power of Gyrados and begin to Thrash back and forth myself. Collapsing my body to the ground then bursting straight up into Hitoshi's arm, I feel him lose his footing. On my toes now, I burst with all of my energy straight into Hotoshi's chest with my right shoulder making him fall back to his knees. With one last fit of power, I jump up and come down with both fists to his head.

Crack!

The beauty of Thrash is that my body attacks without much thought and without holding back, but there is a cost. After I hit him one last time, I feel like I'm back on the S.S. Anne and have seasickness and a splitting headache. I want to lay my head down and can't move as I watch Hitoshi get back to his feet. Ah, move Red! Move! I fall down to my knees hard, but make body stand back up. In a daze, I witness him jump high into the sky then dive towards me with his right fist aimed for my head. Oh no!

Booooooom!

Crack!

After a few seconds, I recognize I'm lying on my back. A loud ringing noise makes it hard to orient myself to what is going on. Owwwww! After a few seconds a delayed but heavy throbbing starts in my left temple. Oh the throbbing hurts! Hitoshi pauses to smile at me and hold up his fist like a trophy.

"I call it the Comet Punch! You're the first person I've used it on in a while."

"Goooo…dy for me…"

I'm impressed, but can't lose this fight.

Switching to the Nidorino Skill, I pull my arms back and start making my trusty Poisonstings in my palms. Hitoshi pulls back his right fist and grits his teeth as his eyes flicker a light blue. What's he going to do now?

I fling my arms forward launching a barrage of needles at him. Hitoshi winces as some of Poisonstings dig into his neck and stumbles backward nearly falling down. As I bring my arms back to form more needles, he flings his right arm forward.

BAM!

His fist hooks me right in the chest with a freezing touch and knocks me flat on my butt. Ice Punch! But just as I process the first attack, he plants a second one on my face knocking me down on my back with a good thud.

"Owwwww!"

Crack!

I transition to my Scyther Skill and get back to my feet, but before I can form a move, Hitoshi strikes again. This time his eyes flicker red. I smell the flames of his Fire Punch as he hits me in the gut!

Oooof!

I try to catch my bearings, but he strikes me once more!

Crack!

Now the odds are finally even. One to one. Who's it going to be?

I only have my Haunter Skill left and know that Ghost moves don't work on Normal Skills, but that works in the reverse as well. I just happen to know some Psychic moves thanks to Haunter's mixed abilities and that should give me the advantage I need to turn this around if I only do this right. Don't lose now Red!

Hitoshi not knowing what Skill I have, ignorantly jumps into the sky to perform his favorite attack, the Comet Punch. I raise my hands up and concentrate on the thought of putting one to sleep then make a clap. The move fails to my disappointment, but it's Hitoshi who is truly disturbed when he dives toward me and glides right through me. Like running through fog into a brick wall, he lands hard on his fist. I see Hitsohi flinch and pull the hand back to his body. Lucky for him, we weren't fighting on the street or that would have hurt a lot more!

"Argh! Ghost type huh? OK then, take this!"

He pulls his busted hand up to his collar as if he were holding an infant then draws back his left hand. His eyes flicker light blue and the air around gets a little colder. Ice punch again! I concentrate and clap my hands as before.

This time Hitoshi stops mid swing and freezes in place. Like a statue he doesn't flinch or even blink.

"Now you may go to sleep."

I say the key phrase, and Hitoshi passes out on the mat. The Hypnosis move worked! As he lays there dormant, I focus my mind on things that Hitoshi may have been thinking. After a few moments, I begin to see visions in my head of his old mentor Kolchi.

The dark-haired, brawny man shows Hitoshi and Hideki how to throw punches and kicks on him while blocking and countering them both at the same time. What a pro! They both rush him, but Kolchi dives between them at the right moment then turns around knocks them both into one another. The two laugh knowing they've been duped once more by their teacher. A few seconds more and the vision starts to get fuzzy.

I blink and in place of Kolchi, I see a glowing purple fruit like a plum floating in the air. Stepping forward, I reach out and take the fruit then bite into it. Oh it's sweet! As I take eat the fruit, Hitoshi grimaces and rolls around on the ground as if having a bad dream.

Crack!

And with that, I have used Dream Eater. How weird! Looking to the wall, I see Hotoshi's last green dot disappear. I win!

Looking over to the other mat, I watch as Hideki plants a strike on Green's hip then uses the moment to spin around for another kick. The Rolling Kick! He plants a second strike on her side but as he goes for another rotation, Green is able to reach out her hand and project some pink light in his direction. I watch as the Psychic move overwhelms his body making Hideki grab as his head like it might bust open at any moment.

Crack!

He falls to his knees and struggles to catch his breath, and Green stands still with both her fists raised also out breath. The last green dot disappears from the wall behind Hideki. Green just beat Hideki as well! Wow!

"Great job Green!" I yell.

She takes a minute to slow down her panting before turning to look at me. For a second she seems irritated with me, but when she finally smiles I know all is well. Man we are beat!

"Thanks! You, too!"

"What move was that?"

"Ah, that's Psybeam...from my Butterfree Skill."

"Nice!"

After the match, the students help the four of us all get to recovery beds then bring us snacks to eat with cold waters to drink. We sit and laugh together like old friends enjoying time together. After we feel restored and confident, we decide to go back to the Gym. It's time to face Sabrina.

23

After several minutes, I come out on top in the battle with Sabrina! It's been a long time coming, but at last I have the Marsh Belt. It took me several tries to beat all four of her Skills, but this time I came out on top thanks to a type advantage I received from using Haunter and Scyther. Unfortunately despite my best efforts, my Gyrados, Nidorino, and Charizard Skill always did some damage but also cracked in battle. I blame this largely in part on the fact she uses an Alakazam Skills which gives her the ability to use Recover. Sabrina simply claps her hands and some of her Skills stamina and her energy is restored making me have to fight her longer and longer each time. She also likes to use Psywave, the move used on us in the restaurant earlier, and I don't know any way to dodge that kind of attack. At least my Scyther and Haunter Skill can endure such an attack so that I can stay in the fight. Green unfortunately hasn't been as lucky.

Going right before me, she started out strong taking down two of Sabrina's Skills pretty quickly. However Green has one Skill with type advantage, Butterfree, that doesn't have Bug type moves. This made it impossible for her to get past two Skills the last few times, and this round she beat the third Skill but then quickly lost to Sabrina's last Skill. I almost feel like I cheated knowing that type advantage allowed me to win where Green didn't despite our training together. That being said, she does know several status changing moves that could work in her favor if only she got it just right. Poisonpowder and Sleep Powder or Sing and Confusion are all moves that don't do much damage but definitely throw the opponent off, and that is all Green needs to turn things around.

"Well Red, I just want you to know I'm happy for you. I'll catch up with you sometime this year."

"Ah cheer up, Green! You are training at a rate much faster than the average trainer and actually getting much stronger. I've seen it! You just have to get a system going with some of your moves, and you'll beat her. You went from two Skills to Three today, and I only barely beat her myself. You're so close!"

"Yeah, but let's be honest. You're getting stronger than me, and better at thinking like a fighter than me. You're even gaining some muscle your arms and starting to look like a real fighter. I'm just….I'm just…"

"Just amazing! Hey, I may have gained some teeny muscles in my arms, but you have gained some definition in your arms and legs. It was distracting me at the Dojo earlier today. I kept trying to stare."

"Red!"

She blushes and tries to cover my mouth so I can't say anymore. I have to admit that I'm attracted to Green physically and keeping my hands off of her has been a challenge. Green doesn't bring it up, but I think sometimes when we're kissing, and she "has to go right to sleep" she is trying to avoid escalating the situation which I have to agree with after the fact at least. I know several friends that would have probably have slept together by now, and there is no denying the idea has crossed my mind, but I guess Green and I are old fashioned. I'll need to talk with Mom soon about all of this come to think of it. We haven't gone into detail, but I think we're both hoping to be with each other long term, and I haven't talked to anyone about how or when to propose to a girl before!

Green looks at me half annoyed and half puzzled. My brain has wondered off somewhere else, so I try to bring it back.

"Sorry…I…I don't mean to be inappropriate. It is how I feel though. I think you're the most attractive girl in the world, and somehow you ended up dating me so I have to compliment ya know!"

"Red! Ha ha…OK, but please stop the flattering…"

"I'm not done! You are beautiful girl, but you are also passionate and committed. I know how you think, and I know this is important to you. You are a great Monster Trainer. You're so close to getting this Marsh Belt! You're not lacking anything, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"You're sweet. Thank you," she says with a kiss.

Green tries to step back from me, but I pull her in close and kiss her deeply and hold her as tight as I can. Green kisses back then settles her body against mine and sighs. Good! She's starting to relax.

"OK, let's take a break and go walk for a minute then I'll come back again…if that's OK with you Sabrina."

"OK with me Green. I'll be here," Sabrina says giving a somewhat uncharacteristic smile. Is she starting to be nice to us?

"Great! OK let's go to Silph Co. They used to be an arms manufacturer and then they changed to making medical supplies after the war…"

"You want to look at medical supplies?"

"No, you didn't let me finish!"

"Oh, sorry."

"They actually expanded the building and now the top floors of the building are all department stores!"

"Shopping! I should have known. Well that sounds…"

"RED! GREEN!"

Turning back to the door of the Saffron City Gym, we see the ever bubbly Daisy waving at us in a purple dress. Seeing her standing in the heat of the sun, her curly brown hair flopping in the breeze from the open door, I found myself smiling and waving back then quickly suppressing my smile.

Daisy is a pretty girl and still makes me act nervous even though I don't have feelings for her like I do for Green. Ugh! I just don't want to make Green worry. She and I have talked about the visions and her concerns about me being faithful to her. I know she believes me, but I have to make sure my body language doesn't look suspicious either. I look over at Green, but she doesn't seem bothered or concerned at all and simply returns a friendly wave.

Daisy makes her way across the gym like she has been here a hundred times before while ignoring the stares and whispers of the other trainers. I can't help but notice that the guys in the room look they are in some sort of stupor while the girls, Sabrina included, have angry scowls on their faces. Daisy walks up to us and gives us each a warm hug before going on.

"How is your training going?"

"It's actually going quite well! I just got my fifth Belt," I say holding up Purple belt with a Golden Coin on the side. "…and I think Green will probably get hers pretty soon."

"Oh that's wonderful, Red! Green, I'm so happy to see a girl out here training, getting strong, and showing these boys that you can't get pushed around."

"Oh…sure."

"Ha. Yes, girl power!"

"Girl…uh…hey Daisy, what brings you out here to see us? Did Yellow bring you? Is he here?" Green says looking around the Gym.

"No, actually though, that is part of the reason I'm here! OH! I'M SO EXCITED!"

"What?"

"What is it? How did you get here?"

"I…I FLEW!"

"You flew?"

"Yes, Yellow showed me what Skill to get and then taught me how to Fly! I can Fly guys! I can go…" she motions with her hands, "swoosh through the sky."

"Oh cool!"

"No way!"

"Yes way! Oh, and this is my idea. Well Yellow and I have gotten a house…"

"A house?"

"You bought a house to live in together? I don't understand."

I already knew that Daisy and Yellow were a secret affair and have "been together" though I didn't know the next move was to "move" in together. Looking over at Green, she raises her eyebrows at me, and I know her shock is equal to mine. I couldn't imagine dating someone like Green and keeping it a secret. Moving in with her with telling people is that idea to the next level. But I'm happy to hear from Daisy, and want to see why she's here.

"It's true, Green. We, though mostly Yellow, put some money down on a house just west of Celadon City. Oh, it's beautiful! Of course we haven't told Grandfather yet, but we did tell Blue, and Blue…well you know how my brother is."

"Yes, you told him then?"

"Yes, I ran into him and his girlfriend…my friend…"

"Summer! Yeah, how are…"

"OK, so you know then…"

"Uh…"

Green looks at me, and neither us want to say anything hurtful. Her best friend was using a fake name and secretly stalking her family to give secrets to Team Rocket. Even if Summer was forced into the job, and ultimately turned things around, it's got to be awkward to go back to being friends.

"It's OK! Summer and I have talked. I…think at first I was just mad, but once Yellow told me everything, I just couldn't be mad at her. Grandfather wanted us to have nothing to with her though. I was actually surprised at him. What's he got to hide you know? Anyway, Grandfather doesn't know that Summer and I are still friends or that Blue is…"

"Dating her?"

"Weird huh? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy for them actually. It's just kind of weird. Almost as weird as that time with the cruise…I mean… ha ha. You know what I mean."

Green's face tightens in several places and turns a slight shade of pink as she says, "We know."

"Well good. I'm glad we're all caught up. You know Red, you really should keep up with your mother more. Both your mothers ask me about you two all the time."

"Wait what? You hang out with our moms?" Green asks.

"Oh yes, Green! You guys are like the only thing worth talking about in Pallet Town. We get together every other night now it seems and talk about you. Of course now I go back to my own house at night, but I used to spend the night over at Mrs. Hayashi's or Mrs. Himura's depending on who was the loneliest. We love watching TV and making cookies together!"

This is too weird! I kind of just want for Daisy to leave now. I can't believe she's been staying in my house. The look on Green's face tells me she isn't too thrilled either.

"OH right! I almost forgot why I came here! Did you guys want to come to my place and learn how to Fly?"

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah, my treat?"

"You'd be training us to Fly?" Green asks.

"Sure would! Do you guys have Flying type Skills? We could go now!"

"That sounds awesome! I have this Charizard Skill and haven't figured out how to stay in the air that long. Maybe this is what I need."

"Great! What about you Green?"

"Uh.. I don't think that my Butterfree Skill can be used for flight, and I was just about to take a break and…"

"Get that belt!" I say for her. Green looks at me as if holding her breath.

"Sorry Daisy, we might have to stay here for now. Green is close to winning this time!"

"Oh, well I mean I can wait…"

"No…" Green cuts her off, "Red, why don't you go ahead and go train now. I think that would be best."

"Really? I'd rather wait for you instead of going without you."

"I'll be fine! You go ahead and train in Flying with Daisy then come back to me OK. I focus on training better when you aren't around you know."

"I mean if that's what you really want."

Green simply nods and forces a smile at Daisy. Is this a test or something? Maybe she needs time alone?

"It's OK Red. Please go ahead and go. You have a chance to learn how to Fly. You have to go!"

"But I can wait for you. I'm not in any hurry."

Green brings her body against mine and whispers in my ears.

"It's OK. I need to stay here and train, and…I trust you."

"OK…I'll be back soon. Love you!"

"Love you!"

We kiss, and I squeeze Green's hand tightly before letting go and giving a nod. Her eyes look almost teary as I step away, but she quickly smiles and waves her hands queuing me to go ahead and not dawdle.

"OK Red! You ready?"

"Yes, let's go!"

We head out the door, and Daisy wraps an arm around me from the side. I feel a sudden pressure course through her body, like electricity, then with a bound we burst off our feet into the sky.

"WHOA!"

"It's OK Red! I have a hold of you, just don't look straight down and try to hold on to me."

"Oh...OK!"

I wrap my left arm around Daisy's waist and squeeze her hip bone as if doing so might actually push me up a little higher. The idea that Daisy who is not an experienced trainer or even an experienced flyer to my knowledge and is holding me several feet in the air with one hand just makes me feel quite terrified! Terrified but also excited!

I can't put into words the rush, sensation that one gets flying through the air. Crossing Saffron City and passing buildings and birds is like nothing I've ever experienced in life before. To my right I happen to look up and see a tall building in the center of town with "Silph Co." written on the side in bold letters. Looking in the glass windows, I can people running around desks with boxes and metal parts in their hands like a race is happening. One of the workers stops in place and stares right at me. Giving him a wave, he slowly waves back and smiles.

"Ha ha, saw that! Admit it! You're impressed!"

"I am, Daisy! I totally am!"

"Yellow taught me last week, and I have been getting this path down for the past several days. A bit of advice, don't try to Fly somewhere you haven't been to before! If you thought getting lost on foot was bad, flying is much worse. I tried to visit Fuchsia City when Yellow was gone because I wanted to check in on Blue and ended up in the sea! I don't even know how. I was lucky though because a man happened to be swimming towards Cinnabar Island and guided me safely back to shore!"

"Oh my gosh! I'm glad you're OK. How is Blue by the way?"

"Heh...who knows? I mean I tried to find him in Fuchsia City, but he dodged me for most of a day that I was there as if I had inconvenienced him or something. I mainly spent my time there catching up with Summer. That part was nice at least. You know she really likes him, but he is…"

"He's Blue!"

"Yes, he is! Ha, you know the Oak's so well."

After sharing a good laugh with Daisy, I look down below to see the passing of trees and buildings. We have passed Saffron City and are now coasting above Celadon. What took me a few painful minutes to run a few days back took only seconds in flight just now. I have to get this mode of travel down to get to places in a hurry!

I smile and wave at a few people below on the streets as we pass the edge of Celadon City and another gate house to the far west. I have never been to this part of town and as we cross the roof of the gate house, I'm greeted by the sight of bicycles. Lots and lots of bicycles!

"Cool huh?"

"What is that, Daisy?"

"This is Katakana Trail! It's composed of three routes including 16, 17, and 18, and it connects Celadon City in the north to Fuchsia City in the south. Some people call it the Bike Trail or Cycling Road. Whatever! The terrain is quite steep and hard to navigate on foot, but Mashmo Cohen had bike trails developed for people to easily travel up and down the hills more smoothly."

"Ah man, that sounds intense! I need to get me a bike and ride down there sometime."

"Totally...oh here we are here!"

Looking just north of Katakana Trail and behind a few rows of trees sits a small brown cottage all by itself. The home is mostly wood on top with stone around the base. Large windows cover the front of the building and there is a pointed roof and tall chimney on the top.

We land in the front yard of the home Yellow and Summer have to themselves and take the scent of the trees. It's only a moment of rest then Summer starts asking me to try and take off from the ground myself. For the next several minutes I manage to jump in place while she levitates casually into a space nearly twenty feet above her roof.

"Red, you're trying to feel the power burst out from your legs! That is how jumping works. Flying comes from total power of the body and for birds it comes from the weight and thrust of the wings."

"I don't disagree, but I don't have wings like a Charizard or…"

"Farfetch'd. I got a Farfetch'd! I know it's a goofy duck that carries around giant onions in its bill. A little silly but silly birds can still Fly. Plus Farfetch'd are kind of cute!"

"Right!"

"Sorry, OK, you don't have wings, but you can visualize Charizard flapping his wings and the pressure propelling him off the ground right?"

"Yes!"

"OK, do that!"

And I do just as she says. I imagine the beast stretching its long body out, a flame on its tail, and smoke coming from its snout as mounts the sky.

"Good! Now here's the trick. When we Fly, we don't have wings, but we can harness the energy that our Skill has in our core and use that push us through the air. Or maybe think of it like a pull. Yes, imagine that a rope from a plane is around you and is pulling you off the ground and dragging you through the sky at a high speed."

I do just that and actually start to lift off the ground. Five feet. Ten feet. Twenty. But the problem is I can only float in place. I won't be Flying back to Saffron City like this!

"Ah man, I can get off the ground now, but this isn't flying exactly."

I continue training with Daisy for the next two hours making slight increases in elevation. Not long into my training, I get a text from Green stating she did at last get her Marsh Belt and is about to enjoy some shopping with none other than Sabrina at the Silph Co. building. I can't imagine Sabrina trying on dresses and shoes with Green, but I'm happy for them. At least they aren't here watching me struggle to jump in place.

How Daisy is able to do this but I can't is blowing my mind! She only has one Skill at her disposal and only uses it for flight. The girl that never valued Monster Training and probably the last girl that Green would want me to spend one on one time training me something is the same girl that is teaching me how to Fly.

Bzzzzt! Bzzzt! Bzzzzzt!

"Hey Red hold on, it's Yellow!"

As I try my best to bring my body slightly higher in the air, Daisy answers her phone with the biggest smile on her face. But then she hears something, and her smiles is replaced by a look of concern.

"OK, I will! Be careful! Love you!" she says putting the phone away. "Red! Please come down here!"

"What's wrong?"

But Daisy doesn't answer me as I follow her into the kitchen of her house. She reaches for a remote controller and flips on the TV. The screen lights up with a scene of panic as Alfie, Butch, and Jesse, the lieutenants from Team Rocket, run down the streets of Lavender Town pushing people out of their way. Somehow they've been released from jail!

The image switches back to the Power Plant on the far east side of Kanto being overrun by strange robots. These red and white balls look vaguely familiar to the balls used to catch Pokémon in the arcade game at Giovanni's only they have faces and are moving on their own. The security camera shows them menacingly rolling the hallways and zapping engineers! A caption below the footage reads "New Menace: Voltorb and Electrode Go Rogue!" The image flips again, and we see groups of Team Rocket Grunts running the streets of Pewter, Cerulean and Celadon throwing rocks at people while Grimer and Muk chase people in every direction.

"What is happening? This is horrible! The Gym Leaders and International Police can't be everywhere at once."

"I know. They need all the hope they can get. That's why…"

I stop talking as the TV screen switches over to the image of a tall building in the middle of Saffron City. I see the familiar bold letters of "Silph Co." People are running out the front door and down the steps hysterically in every direction. A cloud of black uniforms in the streets is forming like a blockade around the entrance to keep people out.

Bzzzt!

I pull out my phone and flip to a text from Green.

"Red! Something is happening here at the factory. People just started screaming and running away. I'll let you know what's going on."

"What?" I text back. "Get out of there!"

"I'm going to stay and help. Sabrina, too!"

I nearly drop the phone from shaking. Of all the places she had to choose to check out, why Silph Company? Couldn't she be anywhere else right now? I wish she was back in Pallet Town and safe.

"Who is it Red?"

"It's...it's Green. She's there."

"There?"

"SHE'S THERE, DAISY! SHE'S AT SILPH CO. RIGHT NOW!"

"OH NO! Um...well we can't go there. Yellow should be there or maybe someone else from the IP is..."

"Daisy, I can't wait to find out if Yellow is there or anywhere else. We have to go back to Saffron City now!"

"We can't go Red! Yellow told us to stay here where it's safe, and that's what we have to do."

"Maybe that's what you have to do, but I'm going!"

Daisy reaches out for my arm, but I move fast enough so she can't grab me. I tear open the door and stare at the sky with my fists raised to my side. I'm coming Green! I've been trying to imagine my Charizard Skill flying through the sky towards Saffron City all this time, but now all I can see is Green crying on the floor saying "Please don't leave. Don't leave me! Help! Please help!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU!" I yell towards the sky.

I can't help but feel anger at the sky for not receiving me or my skills for not yielding to me despite all this time and effort I've put into training. I try to envision my Charizard Skill once more and this time, I see the beast in my mind spring from the ground and throw its weight at the Rocket Base with full speed blowing everything up in flames. All I can see now are flames and more flames.

"RED! YOU'RE DOING IT!"

"Huh?"

Looking down at Daisy, I notice I've levitated several feet off the ground. I've gone much more this time then I've done all day. A strong pull in body like a cable holds me in place ever so gently, but I feel this strong tug to move. I give in to the tug, and like a rocket ship, I find my body soaring higher into the sky! I'm flying!

"RED! BE CAREFUL!"

"THANKS DAISY!"

I concentrate myself on the tug and look straight ahead of me towards Saffron City. Though just barely, I can see both the Celadon Shopping Center and behind it and several trees, I can see the Silph Co. building. Go!

I let my hands fall back as the tug consumes me, and I shoot forward like a ball out of cannon. The trees whizz past me, and most of what I see is merely a blur now. Down below in Celadon, I can see people running in different directions. They look so frightened! Near the center of town, I see Erika and several trainers fighting with Team Rocket. Part of me wants to stop and help, but I have to make sure Green is safe first!

Speeding past Celadon and the routes in between in a couple of minutes, I see Silph Co. dead ahead. Down below on the streets are more of Team Rocket and the students from the Fighting Dojo in all out brawl. All I can hear yelling, slamming, and the sound of glass breaking. Some more Grunts are trying to block the entrance to the factory but are meeting heavy resistance from the Psychic trainers. The students from each gym seem to be fighting well, but the enemy is not backing down either. There are so many of them!

Looking back in front of me, I can start to see into the windows of the Silph building. On most of the levels, all I can make out are empty rooms including the shops on the bottom floors, the factory warehouses on the next two, and the cubicles on the top floors, but on the very top floor, I see none other than Lt. Surge. He is fighting multiple Grunts at the same time, and as I approach the windows, he zaps several of them into Paralysis. One jumps out and grabs him from behind around the neck.

"Oh no you don't!"

I Fly up high then dive towards the glass and swing my arms forward creating a strong blast of kinetic energy. The heavy clap is my form of the Wing Attack if I can call it that at all and something I see Charizard do in my mind. To my delight, the move smashes the windows open and disorients the Grunt holding onto Surge. I Fly in and Wing Attack him again and knock him out for good.

"Sir, are you OK?"

"Red! You shouldn't be here kid! Get out now!"

Surge tries to shoo me away, but more Grunts enter the room, and we get into battle. I manage to take down three more on my own when I hear a loud noise and something appears before me. Sabrina! She must know how to Teleport or something. Whoa! I check the ground and confirm that there no tiles. She did this of her own ability.

Racking my brain, I vaguely remember that Blue got an Abra Skill which he stated only knew how to Teleport. How cool it would be to use that in this situation! She maneuvers around the enemy effortlessly making it near impossible for anyone to strike her. I'm glad she didn't use this on me or Green when trying to get our Belt. maybe she saves that move for trainers coming for a higher level of belt than five? Who knows?

"Red!" she says getting in my face. "Please...don't stay. You have to go!"

"Stop Sabrina! I have to stand and fight just like…"

SMASH!

I turn to my left and see Yellow burst in through another window. He raises one arm before him and the other to the ceiling while glaring straight at the mob before us.

"THUNDER!" he belts.

The sky outside turns dark for just a second, and a bolt of lightning comes flooding into the room, coursing straight through Yellow's arms, and impacts with the Grunts. Sabrina steps out of the way as we watch all of Team Rocket fall over like a house of cards. The shake violently for a few seconds but don't get up and all go still at last. All of them but one that is. One man in all black is standing tall and unfazed in the middle of the fallen Grunts with his back to us. I notice on the end of his left wrist is a drill pointed towards the ground, blood dripping from its grooves.

"GIOVANNI!"

Yellow moves so fast towards him that he looks like a blur of white energy as he charges forward, but Giovanni spins around and chucks something into Yellow's face making him flinch and fall to his knees. What was that a Sand Attack? How low! The Rocket Boss lifts a leg and Stomps on Yellow's back flattening him to the ground.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

I try to run forward and help, but Sabrina grabs me by the arm and pulls me back. She looks at me with sad eyes, a look I didn't think she was capable of making. What is wrong? I need to help. I need to do something. Why doesn't anyone help Yellow? Looking over to Lt. Surge, he simply shakes his head "no." 

A light flickers in the corner of my eye and I turn this time to see an actual Teleportation coming on. With a flash, Koga, the Gym Leader I saw use his Poison Skills on TV forever ago, immerges with daggers in his hand. He looks to Sabrina and Surge, and the three of them rush Giovanni at once.

But Giovanni raises his arms forward and slams all fours down on the ground making a tremor course through the whole building knocking them all back. I watch helplessly as Yellow and several others fall through holes in the ground.

As half of the floor caves in, Surge and Sabrina jump back to a patch of ground that hasn't collapsed giving me the opportunity to Fly straight at Giovanni myself. Once I get close enough to hit him with all I have, he usually raises a hand and Scratches me in the face as if he knew my move before I did.

"GAH!"

I fall down on my knees in front of him, and as I try to get back up he grabs me by the collar.

"Satoshi Himura! We finally meet again. I'm so happy to see you!"

I grab onto his arm with both of my hands and prepare to burn him when he reaches out with his other hand and squeezes my neck. Ack! I can't...I can't breathe! I can't breathe! The bloody drill on wrist flips around and spin in front of my left cheek. There's nothing I can do!

"Nothing to say to me huh? Well that's fine. I'll just take the Master Ball and be on my way since no one here seems capable of facing me."

"Master Ball…"

"Oh, yes! That prize product of Martin Silph! But you don't need to worry about that, you'll be dead soon! But hey, at least you won't be alone."

Master Ball? Won't be alone? But looking over his shoulder, I see what he means, and my heart stops. She's lying still and quiet in a pool of blood. It can't be her! Not Green!

"Green...what did you..."

I can't get free! I have to get free! I'm going to burn you to a crisp Giovanni! With every bit of my body, I want nothing more than to kill you!

Zzzzzzt!

"AAAAAAAHHH!"

He takes the Horn Drill hand from my neck and drives it into my side. I can feel the torque of the bit twisting my shirt and jacket, the heat of the metal burning my skin. I taste blood on my tongue and very nauseated. The room feels suddenly hot and bright. I can't keep my eyes open. All I hear now is the faint sound of something breaking or crunching.

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

Crack.

"NOOOOO! RED!"

Who is it?All that cracking! Everything is hazy. A flash of light and someone appears to my side. Who are you? I can't keep my eyes open. Don't die Red. Don't stop! You have to save Green. Green is OK. She has to be OK!


	14. Fuchsia City 1 (Safari Zone)

24

"Red...Red? Look he's moving!"

"I'll get the nurse."

"Red, can you hear me?"

"Huh? What's going on?"

My head hurts. I don't know who is talking to me or why. My eyes feel heavy, and I have this terrible taste in my mouth. Ah, so bright! Am I lying down? Hmm, this feels like a bed.

I force my eyes open and see Daisy leaning over the end of the bed with her hands grabbing my feet . She looks intently at my face and when she sees me move leans back, and her larger than life smile quickly fades into a faint grin. Daisy seems happy but worried.

"Daisy...OW!"

Trying to sit up in the bed, I feel aches burn all over my sides and my temples. Clutching the egg white sheets in my hands, I notice an intravenous cord coming out of my arm that connects me to a piece of machinery to the right of my bed. OK, so I'm definitely in an hospital.

"What happened?"

"Red, you just calm down, OK!" Daisy says coming to my side and putting a hand on my head.

"OWW!"

"I'm sorry! Oh, did I hurt you?"

"It's OK! You didn't know. I...what happened to me? I hurt all over!"

"YOU NEARLY GOT YOURSELF KILLED IS WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!"

"I…"

In bursts Mom and a man in lab coat at the sound Daisy's shouting. This doctor seems calm enough, but Mom looks like she wants to devour me alive.

"WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO PROVE? DAISY SAID THAT YELLOW TOLD YOU TO STAY AT HER HOUSE AND YOU WENT STRAIGHT TOWARDS THIS TEAM ROCKET! ARE YOU STUPID? DO WE NEED TO LOCK YOU SOMEWHERE?"

"Mrs. Himura! That really shouldn't be necessary."

"YOU FLEW...he flew...Dr. Ankh, he flew into the sky towards a terrorist attack and nearly got himself killed. Isn't that the definition of suicidal?"

"Ma'am, please!"

"MOM! Come on now. I'm not crazy."

"Easy everyone! Try to take a few deep breaths while I check on our boy here. Please, let me take a look at you Red."

Mom shoots me an intimidating glare then steps back as the doctor crosses in front of her to talk to me. Daisy scoots out of the way and joins my mother's side. Just as Dr. Ankh takes a seat next to me, I see Mom hug Daisy like a bear and start crying. I really worried them both.

"So…" Dr. Ankh starts as he flicks a light at my eyes. "Your pupils are responding to light and movement. Good, good. You seem to be responding to sound and sight just fine. Can you feel anything?"

"Yes, my whole my body feels sore!"

"Ah, well the good news is that you ARE feeling then. Excellent!"

"Dr…"

"...Ankh."

"OK, Dr. Ankh… I…"

"Do you remember what happened before you came to the hospital young man?"

"I'm trying to remember. There was...a message from Yellow...things were happening on the news...It was Team Rocket! They were everywhere!"

"Yes! Go on!"

"I was worried about Green. I...I had been trying to Fly all day and then I flew! I Flew straight to Silph Co. and fought alongside some of the Gym Leaders and Yellow, too. Giovanni was there! He...he...attacked her...OH NO! What...what happened to Green? Please…"

"Easy now! Red, hold on just a moment," Ankh says putting a hand to my chest as I try to sit up in the bed. "Your memory appears to be well intact; however, you don't need to be getting very excited or moving around much right now. You…"

"I DON'T CARE! WHERE IS GREEN? DAISY? MOM?"

I frantically look around the room, but no one wants to say anything. They won't even look me in the eye.

"Oh no! Is she...is she dead?"

Mom covers her mouth and turns around as if she can't look at me at all. Daisy rubs her back slowly and gently without looking up from the floor. It's Dr. Ankh that finally speaks. Sighing as he sits down in a chair, he simply shakes his head and gives me a half smile.

"No, my boy she isn't dead. She's alive…"

"Oh good!"

"...but she isn't well. Red...she sustained similar but more severe injuries than you."

"What does that mean?"

"Green took severe trauma to her head, arms, and abdomen. She has internal bruising, broken bones, and burn marks all over her body. The trauma was so overwhelming for her that she couldn't function with it normally and it shut down. We believe that with time and prayer she will heal physically but her mind, well we don't know."

"What are you saying?"

"Red!" Daisy says looking up at me, a tear on her face. "Green is in a coma. We don't know if she will be able to come back."

"Come back? Oh, no...oh, no…."

This can't be real! But as I hear the news, I see Green at Silph Co. in my mind, lying on the floor by Giovanni's feet. Like a bug he stomped on, my Green, just lying there. She lived! I should be happy that she lived, but I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want this to happen, not to anyone, but especially not my Green.

"I'm sorry to bring such bad news but try to focus on your own recovery right now," Dr. Ankh says as he gets up. "I'm going to go check on something and come back. If you're up to it, I'd try to eat something. The nurse will be back soon."

Food? Yeah, I want some food. I want to eat everything they have to eat in this place! I know it won't help, but I'll eat all right. Ugh! Maybe not. I kind of want to just go back to sleep. Let this all be some terrible nightmare. Let me wake up from this.

I wave to the doctor as he walks out the door, and once the door closes, Daisy and Mom come by my side still wiping away tears.

"Red, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"I know Mom. I'm sorry for making you worry. I...want to see her."

"Oh honey...you can't. It's not a good idea."

"Mom!"

"No, please Red! Eat something and get well. You have a hole in your side and bruises from head to toe. You're in no condition to argue with me let alone go anywhere. Just listen to me right now," she softens as she cups my face with her hands and kisses me on the forehead. "We'll go see her, I promise, but for now, you just take care of yourself."

Daisy quietly shakes her head in agreement. I'm not going anywhere with these two watching me. I don't think I could get that far anyway. I lay my head back down and do my best to relax my body. The heaviness in my eyes hasn't left so maybe I should give into it for now. Food will have to wait. I close my eyes and turn my head over on the pillow to fall back asleep.

"I'm going to try and eat later if that's OK. Just please...let me for right now...go back to sleep."

25

That day and then consequentially that night as well are a blur of pain, nausea, restless, and irritability. When I finally get a few hours of sleep, it's maybe for three hours all together. When I open my eyes the next morning for the final time, I spot some familiar faces in my room. To the left are Mom and Daisy once more only this time with Yellow holding his arm in a cast. With his good arm, he gives me a friendly wave and smile. Next to Yellow is his father Surge, and despite the fact that Yellow is in all black and Surge in is a tank top with blue jeans on, the two have such similar facial features they could be brothers. Of course Surge is much brawnier than his son and Yellow is perhaps a little bit leaner and maybe an inch taller.

How crazy it is that the two of them are here right now in the same room! When I first made it to Vermillion City, I learned that they didn't see one another, ever, all because of the grief and blame they ascribed to one another after Yellow's mother died. But then they were present at the Saffron City attack, and now here they are together again. Perhaps this tragedy has at least one silver lining.

Turning my gaze to the other side of the bed, I see Sabrina, this time in a white skirt and pink sweater, a bit unusual for what her usual all black and somber kind of wardrobe and standing by her side, with his hand dangling very close to hers is Koga, the Gym Leader from Fuchsia City. Not including the time I saw him on TV, this is now the second time I've run into him after seeing him at Silph Co. I can't help but notice his hand draw near to hers only for her to swat it away. Koga clears his throat and steps forward to speak.

"Hello, Red. Do you know who we are?"

"Yes…" I say before letting out a few coughs and make myself sit up in the bed. "You are Koga, and...well I know the rest of you already." I say looking around the room.

"See?" Sabrina says shoving in elbow in Koga's side. "I told you his mind is in good condition."

"Yes, you were right Sabrina. Well either way then, it's good to officially meet you Red!" Kogs say ignoring her as she rolls her eyes at him.

"Koga! Sabrina! Please everyone! You have to tell me what's going on. I...I remember you telling me that Green was in a coma. Is that true?" I ask looking towards Mom.

Everyone quietly nods together. It's true! Green isn't well. Ah, then this is all real and not just some bad dream after all.

"I have to see her!"

Leaning forward I put my weight onto my hands and tuck my feet back under my knees then turn to slide off the bed. I grit my teeth involuntarily as a pain in my side punishes the movement, and before I can actually get up, Yellow and Surge step forward and hold me in place.

"Don't get up Red! You have to heal. You have a serious wound on your side there. It could get infected if you tear it back open!"

"I DON'T CARE! GET ME A POTION OR SOME TAPE! IT'S ALL THE SAME TO ME! I WANT TO SEE HER! PLEASE!"

But as intent as I am on getting out of bed, they don't let me budge an inch. Taking a few deep breaths, I finally lay back down on my good side, the one that doesn't have dark red bandages and stitches all over it and close my eyes as tears try to form in them. I open them just once more to see Mom step up and pull the blanket over my shoulders and tuck me in before stepping out of the way for the others to come up to me and place a hand on me before leaving.

"Don't rush it. We'll be back when you're ready to start walking," Sabrin.

a says.

"Relax, you will go back to training. I promise!" I hear Yellow say.

"You stay out of trouble Red. You're still alive. Let's keep it that way!" Daisy insists.

Each one has something to say out loud to encourage me, but Koga comes up last and whispers in my ear his tip in my ear.

"When you're ready, Yellow will bring you to Fuchsia City. I could use your help there."

I look at Koga as he turns to walk out the door, but he doesn't look back. What does he need me to help HIM with? In my condition, I'm totally useless. Like a broken toy, all I'm good for is getting thrown out in the trash. Sure I want to heal and go back to training, but what's the point? I just got my fifth belt and learned how to Fly, only to watch Team Rocket erupt all over Kanto. I was feeling high and powerful, but I couldn't do anything to help. There were just too many of them and even with a bunch of well trained fighters at my side, Team Rocket did so much damage. Giovanni struck down my girlfriend and me like we were flies, pests.

"Red…"

Looking up from the bed, I realize that not everyone left the room. Mom stayed behind.

"Hi Mom."

"Hi honey," Mom says as she comes and sits down on the edge of my bed. "You must feel awful."

"Horrible!"

"I hear you. Look, I know you are not a boy anymore. You're an adult now, a young man, and you have to do life as you see fit. I won't try to tell you what to do. Just remember that you still have me, your mother."

"I know, Mom."

"Do you? Is that why you yelled at everyone just now and tried to spill yourself like soup all over the floor?"

"Uh...it's not like that."

"No? Red, you act like you are in this all alone. Yellow told me he asked you to stay with Daisy, but you flew straight into the line of action and nearly got yourself killed!"

"It's because of Green, Mom. She was in danger! Is that so hard to believe?"

"No, but why act so recklessly? What were you thinking?"

"THINKING? I WAS THINKING I LOVE HER!"

That shut her up. For a long minute, my mother doesn't make a peep and just quietly stares at me. What is she thinking? Is she going to tell me I can't be in love at my age? Maybe she'll say I haven't known Green long enough. Have I known her long enough? What does it matter to her?

"WHAT? WHAT IS IT?"

"You love her?"

"I...yes. Yes, I do Mom."

"I thought so."

"Wait what?"

"I was wondering if you'd ever tell me or if it was just in my head."

"Huh?"

Mom knew, and she didn't say anything to me? Mom has always been my voice of reason, the one to get me up and going to school. She has helped me figure out how to dress and eat and how to talk to people with respect. Mom is proper and responsible. Mom is caring and always right, but she isn't one for talking about my love interests.

The last time we talked about girls was back in high school. I was attracted to many girls including Green come to think of it, but I was completely obsessed with Daisy. Oh, how I wanted to be with Daisy!But Mom called me out on it one day and with a "You're not ready for love" or "You have school to worry about" kind of speech she would derail me instantly from that point on. I never talked about girls around her again. What does she mean then by saying "I knew it!?"

"I have suspected it for some time, but I didn't want to bring it up. It was kind of hard,you know, thinking you might have another girl in your life than old Mom."

"Ha!" I laugh feeling uneasy, "I mean...How did you know?"

"Well lets face it, Red. You've always been a been attached to my hip. I mean you spent time doing things with your father and me evenly when you were younger but once he passed you kind of imploded a little."

"Imploded?"

"Yes, if you weren't at school or with Blue you were home with me."

"You always needed help around the house. I didn't want you to be alone!"

"I know. I know. I was never without your help, and I was never alone. I have to be honest though, it was unfair of me to keep you all to myself. All those years after your father died, I just never wanted to move on. I didn't want to make friends, and when you didn't branch out more, I was delighted. We sort of limped on together. When Oak told me about your journey and the opportunity it offered you, I realized just how much I had depended on you. I had to let you loose! You have so much to offer Kanto, and it would have been wrong of me to be selfish and keep you home your whole life."

"I...wow...Mom I would have got out of the house."

"No, I don't think you would. Even Blue would have left you behind sooner or later and then what? You'd probably still be pining over Daisy and watching Pokémon shows."

"Hey! Whatever! You know what? That doesn't answer my question! How did you know that I love Green?"

"He he. I knew because you DIDN'T tell me."

"Huh?"

"Red, when you're around someone long enough and especially if they are your only child, you learn everything about them. It can be so wonderful, but if you're not careful you'll expect them to never change. When you left Pallet Town, you got serious about training. You stayed up late and fended for yourself. I couldn't understand if at first, and I was so jealous that something else got your attention."

"I know. I should have called you more."

"Shhh, let me finish. You know you used to call or text home if things got rough when you went on trips for school or got into a fight with Blue. When you went off to be a Monster Trainer, you started to talk to me at first, but then you changed."

"I'm…"

"And! And I'm glad you didn't! It forced me to make friends with Green's mother Emma and with Daisy, people that had wanted to be my friend from the beginning. People that needed a friend when they lost loved ones just like we did. But anyway, I noticed several terrible and scary things happened because of these Rocket types. They were stealing and blowing things up all around you and you didn't tell me about it. You didn't come to me. Then I saw you on TV with her, with Green in Vermillion City, and it hit me."

"You aren't disappointed? You aren't going to try and talk me out of it?"

"Oh now why would I do that? I know you Red. You're just like your father! If you have your heart set on something, nothing will ever change that for you. I knew you were obsessed with Daisy, but you never seemed confident in the relationship you had with her. You always just talked about her like a fairy tale. Did you think you two would be ever actually be together?"

"No, I...I guess I didn't. With Daisy and with any other girl, I just felt attraction but also uncertainty. I never really felt serious about anything before this trip, but then I do really feel a purpose when I fight. I feel like, like my Dad is with me, when I stop and listen. I hear him like he's right by my side."

"Oh Red...he is. Your father will never let you go!"

"I know. I know…"

"But you met Green, too. You met a girl and kept how you felt about her from me. That's how I know you cared about her differently than you did Blue's sister."

"I didn't mean to hide something from you. I guess I just feel something different with her. Green and I share a true purpose and connection. And the things we've been through, the things we've seen together...it's like nothing I've ever experienced! We started talking to each other back in Viridian City and then...well we were messing around in the forest and she got hurt, and I had to carry her to the Focus. I was afraid that she was going to die from Poison!"

"WHAT? Oh my goodness! That's right! Emma told me."

Emma or Mrs. Hayashi I remind myself. I never use our parents first names so it's here to keep the name straight on my head.

"Right, well anyway, I carried her to the Focus and things started changing. I mean I still had feelings for Daisy, and I thought that Green was into Blue. She even said it! I sort of thought she was weird and annoying up until that point, but after that day, I think a seed was planted in me that never went away."

Mom starts laughing and covers her mouth when I roll my eyes at her.

"What is it? What's so funny?"

"Oh, I'm sorry Red. It's just..it's just well, have I ever told you about how I met your father?"

"Before you went into crafting and nursing you used to run the restaurant on the edge of town with grandfather before he died. Dad used to come there for breakfast and coffee, and he asked you out one day because he thought you 'were the prettiest woman he had ever seen in his life!'"

"Ha ha. Well that IS part of it! Yes, I used to run the counter and bring out the food for Delia's."

"That was grandmother's name right?"

"Yes! You never met her, but she was great. Oh, the both of them were! Anyway, I would help Dad with the front while he cooked and did inventory in the back. We were a real duo of sorts. That is until one day this man came for breakfast.

Satoshi came in by himself and at first I didn't really notice him. He wasn't loud or wearing fancy clothing. Your father came in with his button down shirt and jeans and his tool belt, always brown and blue. He always wore that hat you like to wear, but he'd take it off when he came in the door.

Satoshi would sit down and read the paper while I brought him his coffee. He was quiet and polite compared to some other customers that came, especially the ones that hit on me from the gas company in south Pallet. Ugh! They were so obnoxious. To be honest, I saw your Dad come in for several days before we ever really talked to one another, and I took that as a good thing at the time. Less drama."

"And?"

"And! Ha, so one day I went over to him and started to refill his coffee and he set the paper down and gave me the biggest smile and said to me, 'Oh thank you Hana! Can I ask you something?'"

"'Sure,' I said. Now I didn't tell him this at the time, but I had never really looked at Satoshi in detail. He had such big shoulders and this angled jaw line. The features of his whole body were like carved marble. He sometimes came in with these rough looking gloves on, but that day he had them off, and underneath the gloves he had the softest yet toughest looking hands I've seen. His dark eyes were…"

"MOM!"

"OH! I'm sorry, where was I?"

"You were just telling me that you went to check on Dad, and he was asking you something."

"Oh, right! Sorry! So anyway he goes, 'Is Hana short for something?'"

"I laughed and told him that 'Hana' is short 'Hana to Yume' or as my family calls me

'Hanayume.'"

"'OH!' he says, 'Doesn't that mean bride? Are you married?'"

Mom stopped for a second and covered a grin on her face. This sort of confusion about words is unfortunately common in Kanto. The country has a blended culture of Japanese, English and French languages and backgrounds. Mom's family was familiar with writing in Kanji where as Dad had little knowledge of that. His family actually moved to Kanto during his teen years from America, and he actually taught me and Mom how to read books in English and some in French though only children's books really. But this is beside the point. Why is Mom making that goofy smile?

"Go on! What are you smiling about?" I insist.

"OK, so it was at that moment he said 'bride' that I panicked and overflowed Satoshi's mug and spilled hot coffee all over my hand and on both of his! 'What!? NO! I…OH NO!' I said to him. Oh I burned him, a customer that was trying to make small talk with me! It even dripped down onto his shoes and feet! I set the kettle down and started trying to pull out a rag for him, but my hands were shaking too much. Oh I made such a mess! ! felt so terrible. I thought for sure he'd hit me or curse me. I thought maybe he'd just leave and never come back but you know what he did?"

"What?"

"He grabbed my hands in his and he said to me 'It's OK Hana. Let me see your hands.' And he looked them over in his own and told me they looked OK then he took the tag from me and wiped up the coffee from the table. I tried to run off and gethin some paper towels for his feet, but he held onto my hand and said, 'Please, it's OK. Finish telling me about your name.' So I explained to him that my name is is Hanayume and that means dreams and flowers."

"What did he say back?"

"He squeezed my hand and let it go and said, "Dreams and flowers? What a pretty name for a pretty girl.'"

"Of course I hadn't expected him to say something like that, so I just stood there and turned a few shades of pink or he so he told me later. I asked him, 'So you aren't mad? I do most humbly apologize for this. I have to say I don't usually do this...I mean spill drinks on people...I hope you won't want spread a bad report or...'"

"And he said to me, 'Hanayume, I'm not here to condemn this place. I love it here! I couldn't imagine a better place to come eat in the morning. Please if you really want to make it up to me, maybe you can get me dinner? I'm easy I like fish, any kind.'"

"So I pulled out my notepad and pen and asked him very stupidly for his order, 'OK, well we only have a few options, on the last page. I...wait!' And just like that, he asked me out. I was so dumbfounded at the timing, the unlikelihood of this well mannered man whom I just spilled burning hot coffee on and barely knew. He actually wanted to go out with me! We went out that night and from that point on, the chemistry just soared between us. I think we lasted maybe a month of dating."

"Lasted a month?"

"Before we got married! Ha ha, oh, my father was so delighted. And your father's parents, too. You see, he saw me at a time I was not my best, in fact possibly my worst, but he saw the real me, and for whatever reason that was the person he fell in love with. Then he ended up calling me his bride after all. Oh, I was such a mess, but your father, he had a way of making me feel whole and unblemished. I never wanted with him around, and I never doubted anything because of him."

"A month! Wow! I never knew that about you and Dad. You really just hit it off."

"Well your old mom doesn't tell you everything growing up you know, but I just had this feeling when I realized that you were dating Green. I heard from her mother that you two talked about marriage even. Is that true?"

"Um, no, well sort, I think. Yes."

"Ha ha. That sounds like a story! Why don't you tell me about your journey from the beginning?"

And so I did. I spent the next several minutes telling Mom the story so far. How I jumped into training for the first time in Viridian Forest. How Green and I realized just what danger we were getting into when she got poisoned. I told her about how I got on a cruise and got very sick and nearly ruined everything with Green from the beginning because I was still trying to make sense of my feelings for Daisy. I told her about the rest of my adventure, the battles and the long hours of training, the setbacks and victories. I told her about seeing the different cities and how the Gym Leaders have helped me. I told her about Team Rocket and Giovanni. How he seemed to know my father and hates me for some reason. It was hard, but I told her everything I knew.

Mom did her best to comfort me and be supportive for the next few days. Instead of giving advice or telling me what to do, she listened to me and tried to help me eat and get in and out of bed. My first meal was half a bowl of potato soup and my first journey from the bed was to the bathroom and back.

Not much to talk about really, but in a few days, I was up to eating full meals and walking down the length of the halls and even sneaking off to try to steps when I felt brave. I didn't have to sneak off from Mom, but the hospital staff. Mom actually wanted to take me upstairs to see Green or downstairs to the courtyard and have me get outside, but the staff were pretty insistent that I stay on my floor and not leave for all of three days. I could make it to the steps at the end of the hall but not up them, and I couldn't get on the elevator without people noticing as they were placed right next to the nurse's station. On day four though things finally changed.

"Your recovery is quite exceptional!"

"Thanks Dr. Ankh."

"I'm serious Red! Between your Skillfinder or your genes, I'm not sure, but somehow you have recovered faster than most people I've treated in this hospital! You have use of all of your body and the cuts on your abdomen are almost back together from the way you lumber down the hall ways. You should be able to take that bandage off and maybe train in a week or two if you take it easy."

A week or two? Is this guy joking? Yellow is coming to pick me up and take me to Fuchsia City today! But he is right to a degree, I won't be at full capacity just yet.

"I know you want to get back out there with Blue and fight, but take it slow please. I know you've been anxious to see Green, and I don't want you to get discouraged so go and see her now if you'd like. You just keep your head up young man."

"Right, that's what I have to do!"

"Good! I'm glad to hear that. OK, sign this!" he says handing me the discharge paperwork. "Good luck out there!"

Mom is already waiting for me by the elevator, so I pass the nurse station, staff staring at me as I walk by and hit the up button. I check my clothes to make sure everything's in order. Except for some bandages on my hand and a bump on my side under my shirt, you wouldn't be able to tell that I was injured. Even my gait is back in order. I'm lucky that Giovanni struck me where he did and nowhere else. I bled a lot and my side still hurts, but now I'm just waiting for the skin to heal, nothing internal. With my jeans and red hat back on my head, I feel like myself once more.

We get in the elevator and go up to the seventh floor. Stepping out on tile, I notice a few more nurses staring at me, but they don't say anything to me. I keep my head down and walk by without conflict. When we make it to Green's room, I notice the overhead light is off and the only light in the room comes from a tiny lamp in the corner that's almost hidden by a sea of flowers.

"They are all from fans from across the country," Mom whispers to me. "You won't believe how many they had to turn away! And they keep coming, but Yellow has made a point of taking them all to the Hayashi home back in Pallet. Well...go on then," she says giving me a push into the room.

Sitting in a chair to the right is Mrs. Hayashi reading a book. To the left, under a small canopy of white sheets and bandage lies her daughter. I can barely see Green under all the coverings, but it looks like she is just sleeping like nothing is wrong. When Mrs. Hayashi sees us, she jumps to her feet, but Mom shakes her head gets her to sit back down.

As Mom walks over to the wall to hug Mrs. Hayashi, I make my way around the bed to Green's right side and squat down to look at her face. I've never seen a person in a coma before. Heard of them on TV shows, but not something I hoped to see in real life.

Green is lying on her side facing me. Her body is in a gown and bandages cover most of her lower arms and a big place on her right cheek. I take a seat in the chair next to her and carefully grab her hands with mine. One of her fingers has clamp on it to measure her heart beat and an IV attached to the back of her hand. I lay her hand back down and gently run my hands through her brown hair. It looks uncharacteristically dirty and feels a touch dry, but somehow the feel of her hair is comforting and familiar to me that I don't mind.

I'm right here with her, but it feels like we are in different worlds. If only she would open her eyes and acknowledge me. Hit me in the shoulder and give me a hard time, Green. But she is still and quiet. Watching ever so closely, I find one reassurance of her health, the slight indentation of her chest and flare of her nostrils as she breathes. She may be in bad shape, but she is alive. That will be enough of a joy for me today.

"Red?"

I look back to Mrs. Hayashi.

"I'm glad you came up here to see her, and that you're doing better."

"I feel much better actually, but I feel so bad for what happened to your daughter. I was with her and then I left her…"

"To go and learn how to Fly! Yes, I know. And I'm glad you left and showed up when you did otherwise you and Green may have both...well, we may not be as fortunate as we are right now."

"Fortunate! I'm sorry Mrs. Hayashi, but what do you mean by that?"

"Red, you are up and talking to me, and I'm happy for that. Truly I am. But know this, if you had been there with Green, that man would have attacked and killed you both before blinking an eye."

"Well he nearly did with Green!" I say raising my voice.

Mom sits up straight and furrows her eyebrows at me. That might have been too much I think. Mrs. Hayashi swallows and looks away for a second before looking back at me. I can see the pain in her eyes. This may be a girl that I truly care for, but she has been Mrs. Hayashi's daughter her whole life.

"I'm sorry...I can only imagine how hard this is for you. I just feel responsible."

"I know, but you really mustn't. Let me explain."

"OK."

"When Team Rocket appeared, this man...Giovanni...I can barely say it. He arrived to get some item from Ron Silph, CEO of Silph Co."

"The Master Ball! He mentioned it to me before...before I blacked out."

"Oh, I don't know what he wants a ball for. I've never heard of that."

Mrs. Hayashi looks to me and Mom, but both us shake our heads back.

"I don't either."

"Anyway, he got the item I heard, even though Silph had decided to back out of the deal once he realized that the person requesting this item online was from Team Rocket. It must have been something dangerous, because Mr. Silph looked very concerned when he told me about it though not what it's for. But then Giovanni demanded the object anyway and wouldn't take no for an answer. He showed up and started attacking his staff! Security and the International Police tried to fight him, but there were too many...bad men I guess….outside. They couldn't reach Mr. Silph in time."

"Except for Green!"

"Right! I heard from Mr. Silph himself that she fought bravely and got in a few good strikes before the fight turned around. He seriously injured Green...he would have killed her, but Sabrina the Gym Leader showed up. She and some other people, though I can remember them all, came to help. They all wounded him a little bit, but he was just too strong. He defeated them in the end and was planning to turn back and kill Green and then all of them for good."

"Then I showed up?"

"Then you showed up! Oh what a blessing!"

Mrs. Hayashi got to her feet and engulfed me in a hug. The sensation is both overwhelming but also reassuring. I can't help but notice that Mrs. Hayashi has on a familiar pine perfume. Now I know where that style came from.

"Red...you fought him, and I regret that you got so injured, but you hurt him, and sent him packing! You saved Green, but you also prevented that man from killing anyone else."

"Else?"

"I'm afraid that a man did die in Saffron City, they gave me his code name only. I think it was Seeker?"

"Looker?"

"Oh, that's the one!"

"Oh no! I met him. He was a good man."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure he was."

"But what were you talking about? You see, I tried to hit Giovanni, and he easily beat the tar out of me."

"Sabrina told me that she saw him strike you down, but then you stood back up. You looked in a daze of some sort, but you fought back!"

I looked to Mom who simply shrugged and smiled.

"I don't understand what kind of Struggle you were in, maybe a side effect of being knocked out but you have that fancy Skillfinder. Maybe that's what allowed you fight? I don't know, but you hit him hard! Then the others ganged up on him, and he fled. He stole something and hurt both of you, but he had to run away before he could kill either of you. I know he had something planned, but Kanto stood strong that day. Team Rocket hasn't been seen since that day. Oh what a miracle!"

"I'm just not following. You're saying I attacked him after I was knocked out? Too crazy!"

"It's true!"

Who's here? Turning to the door, we all see the familiar blonde haired man from the IP. His grey coat just barely off the surface of the floor.

"Yellow!"

"That's me. I heard you were discharged from the hospital and figured you would come straight here. Guess I was right. If a man loves something enough, he will devote all of himself to it."

"I...yes. Ha ha, are you ready then to take me to Fuchsia City?"

"Yes, I am. Whenever you're ready."

"What? But Red, you're just now starting to heal. Please stay with Green and me and relax."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Hayashi, but I can't. Giovanni and Team Rocket may not be on the news, but they're out there. I have to keep training. I have to get stronger."

"He sures does, and if he can be a team player he just might join me on the IP. If he can try to be a little bit careful that is."

"I'm sorry, I never did apologize to you for not listening."

"Ah, no worries. Let's go though, I have to drop you off and go check out something happening down by Cinnabar Island. I've heard about these strange icebergs forming. There have been shipwrecks and people getting trapped down there."

"OK, then...I guess this is goodbye then. Ummm, Mrs. Hayashi, I forgot to thank you in person, but thanks for getting me that Big's outfit, and for your pep talk...and for…"

"For Green? Ah, you're welcome! You be careful and come back here each day you

can, I know we three girls could use the company!"

"It's true Red, don't be a stranger!"

I go and hug Mom and then Mrs. Hayashi and lastly go to Green's side and kiss her on the forehead.

"OK, Yellow, let's go!"

26

When we make it to Fuchsia City, the first thing I notice is how much smaller and calmer the town is than Saffron. The buildings are short and brown and white and often times hidden between bamboo trees, something I don't get to see everyday. Small ponds break up the streets, and the south side of town is connected to the sea in a way similar to Vermillion City is though the coastline here is less rocky and more of what most people think of when they say the word beach, sandy. I actually think I'd really like it here! Though three times the size of Pallet Town, this place kind of reminds me of home with the added bonus of tall trees and a little more business in town. It's just homey.

The first place we visit is a small shack in the north east corner of town. Sitting on the porch in a rocking chair with his hands folded over his stomach sits an elderly man with a greying beard. Yellow walks up to him as if he knows him, and I follow close behind. It turns out that "Bob's" family has owned the land now being used for the Safari Zone for generations. It's his desire that the attraction be restored to its former glory as soon as possible, but there simply aren't enough willing men in town to help.

"What do you think, Red? You were badly injured only four days ago. Should you wait a few more?"

But I don't say a word back and give him a smile. Yellow knew all along I would do this. That's why he brought me here, to feel useful again. To get out of my bed and start doing something with hands once more.

"You're here!"

Turning around I see Koga standing walking down the street toward us.

"I'm glad, and look, you met Bob. Ready to get to work?"

"I am!"

For the next two weeks, Koga, Bob, and I fell into a nice routine. We grabbed a few men on the way into the SZ and rolled some tools in on carts. Each of us would pick a section of wood, take a few steps out from the last man, then begin cutting up fallen trees and loading them onto the carts. We'd move the lumber all to burn piles and eat fried fish at the end of the day over a the end of the day, Yellow would show up by Bob's house and Fly me back to the hospital in Saffron City.

At least he did that the first two times, but I soon felt well enough to Fly on my own and relieved him of this task. I noticed that Yellow never protested about taking me though. What a good guy!

Once we got a majority of the wood cleared, I began clearing the land of dead animals or rather I focused more on that than before. We actually did both from the beginning but cleaning up carcasses in the fallen brush was quite tricky and something that was so nauseating and upsetting that I did my best to avoid it.

Making your hand like a blade to Cut a log then load it on a cart makes you feel like a strong and youthful man. Grabbing an oozy and bloody corpse just reminds me of death and weakness. I guess the reality of death can be humbling in the weirdest of ways.

According to Bob the Safari Zone was a place for tourists and trainers alike. Tours could come through the SZ in tall vans, something you don't see a lot of in Kanto anywhere since most people rely on Skills to get around, and we have such a small country and fuel is very hard to come by and expensive here. This makes vehicles in Kanto sort of obsolete.

Little kids come and see the Pokemon at the Safari Zone on field trips from school though I remember I missed the trip my school took because I slept in that day. How disappointing!

According to Bob, trainers apparently can come into the park and train in different sectors. The first sector is more of a commons area where people can go to eat from vendors, use the bathroom, and buy merchandise. This is also where the vans are stationed. Past the entrance is what I'll call Sector A has terrain that is mostly flat and forested. North of that is Sector B, the biggest sector of all and home to large ponds. In the last sector lies more hilly ground as well as a building surrounded by water. I'm told that is the Treasure House.

"Each sector has different Pokemon in it, though the attack has caused many of them to get confused and now they're all mixed up."

"Koga, is there any significance to the design of the sectors?"

"Yes, actually. You see every week Bob hosts events here for trainers to compete against one another. The big competition is called the Treasure Trek. Trainers have a limited amount of time to run through the forest, swim through the ponds, and move past large stones in order to get to the Treasure House."

"What do you get if you win?"

"Well there are different prizes every time, but the first place winner gets to choose from money to gift cards to personal lesson with the Warden himself. You know before I showed up, he was the Fuchsia City Gym Leader."

"What? Wait, who is this Warden anyway?"

"You met him already. His name is Bob!"

"No, I mean. He's just some old man. How does he train people?"

"Ah, but looks can be deceiving. He was the one that taught me how to Strength. He could teach you how to do that and also how to Surf."

"I'm sorry, how to what?"

"I'll ask Bob to come over today and show you."

So Koga sent Bob a message and not much later, he showed up. Bob took me over to Sector B where all the ponds were and pointed to a small mound in the middle of a pond. He then got in the water, no hesitation at all, and kicked off the ground.

I'm not sure what's happening, but now I'm watching his body project forward like a cannon in the water! I guess that would be more like a torpedo than a cannon actually. This is not just swimming fast. Something special is happening here! Anyway he makes it to the center of the pond in mere seconds and steps up on top of the mound with his arms raised high.

"SEE?"

"YES!"

Bob then gets back in the water and springs his body back towards me. He asks me to try this time, and jumping in the water, I try to visualize the necessary Skill being done by Gyrados which happens to part Water. How fitting because I actually get several feet out into the water on the first try! With a few minutes of practice, I'm not expert but definitely impressed with my ability.

"Nice work! I wonder though if you can Strength?"

But Koga doesn't leave this thought to mystery and asks me to leave Bob behind and head to the last sector with him. Getting out of the water, Koga takes me down the path towards Sector C with big hills, a small moat, and the Treasure House in the middle.

At first it seems like all we have to do is hike up a large hill, and we'll get there no trouble, but as we start going up, I notice that several boulders are strewn about everywhere. We navigate our way around several of them, but at last we come to a sort of dead end with a small wall of rock in our faces.

"OK, watch this."

Koga steps forward and puts his hands against a single boulder. I watch closely and see his hands tremble slightly before he plants them on the stone, almost like brute vibrating from electricity coursing through them. Then as if he were pushing a shopping cart down an aisle, Koga pushes the big rock back and to the side!

"Whoa! How did you do that?"

"It's called Strengthing! You send your energy into an object as you move it allowing it to respond to you kinetic energy and move with you. It's a technique that can help any man move larger than normal objects, even elderly men like Bob the Warden. But like Fly or Surf, you must have a Skill of a Pokemon that could actually move those things in real life. This is why I can show you how to Strength, but I'm unable to show you how to Fly or Surf. Bob has the Skill of Dragonair, a big blue and white serpent. Yellow, your old pal that flies you around everywhere has a Skill from a Fearow that allows him to Fly. My Poison Pokémon can't do either or at least I can't without switching out my Skillfinder, but I can Strength. Why don't you try it with me?"

So I try to think of what Pokemon could move boulders and accept that many are quite big and strong, but in order to stay focused, I concentrate on my Charizard Skill. Imagining a big red dragon knocking a boulder out of the way, I step up to one and proceed to push it. No luck!

"Ah man, what's wrong? Charizard Skill should work right? What are you using?"

"I'm using a Muk Skill and yes, that should be fine. Give it another go."

Muk? Isn't that the creature that Team Rocket used to attack people with? Why would Koga want to use a Skill from a monster like that? Whatever! Red, you have to focus. But try as I might, I simply can't get this Skill down. The boulder starts to move then slides right back into place. If anything the boulder is pushing me back down the hill.

"Hey, it's OK. Why don't you take a break today and enjoy yourself in the Safari Zone. You don't want to work the whole time you're here and miss the beauty of nature."

Reluctantly I agree to take his advice and head back to Sector B. At least I know how to Surf. I mean how cool is that! I'm so glad that I got that dumb Magikarp Skill forever ago because now that I have Gyarados abilities Surfing is easy.

Swimming around in the ponds, I can see all sorts of wild Pokemon including some I'm not as familiar with such as Krabby, Kingler, Psyduck, and Golduck. The first two are just what most people call crabs; however, Kingler has one really big claw and one small one and a body that is roughly ten times as big and heavy as a Krabby.

Psyduck looks like your average yellow duck but has some strong Water and Psychic moves I've heard making it an animal you don't want to mess with. Golduck is a blue, humanoid looking bird that when standing on ground is almost as big as grown man. The one in front of me looks to be maybe a foot shorter than me but watching it swim like a person through the pond, I can't help but think he's more of a man than a bird. After taking a nice swim in the pond, I decide it would be best to head back into Sector A and see what Pokemon are running around in the forest.

At first I don't see much of anything so I stop myself and squat quietly waiting for them to stir. Each day I've come to the forest I've seen a wide range of Pokemon here. The first day I saw most of the Nidoran Lines including the purple rhino Nidoran male and Nidorino, Skills I have, as well as their blue female counterparts Nidoran and Nidorina.

The next day I saw Paras, the strange bug creature with mushrooms on its back and Parasect, the evolved form of Paras which has one big mushroom on its back and faded white eyes like its dead inside. Gross! I remember seeing the Paras back at Mount Moon when I chased after Team Rocket from Pewter City weeks back.

The day after that, I saw Venonat which Sabrina has the Skill of, a purple fuzzy bug as well as Scyther and Pinsir which I saw pictures of at Giovanni's Game Room. Seeing Scyther and Pinsir use their appendages to battle and chop bamboo down in nature though is much cooler than looking at pictures of them in a building! I'm glad I got the Scyther Skill there before Team Rocket revealed itself and the building came down. I'll have to come back here some time and observe Scyther close up.

I've also seen some stranger Pokemon here. There are the pouch Pokemon or that's what I'll call them, Chansey and Kangaskhan. Chansey is pink and looks like an egg with a face and hands and feet with a pouch on it's belly holding yet another smaller egg. Weird!

Kangaskhan is a big brown lizard looking creature with hardened plates and spikes on its body. It usually carries a baby in its frontal pouch which is different from most Pokémon that seem to simply evolve from something smaller to something bigger. I've heard in other countries there is a similar creature called a kangaroo although I think Kangaskhan is much bigger and more intimidating than a kangaroo from what people have told me.

As I make my way across a small pond, I can see a handful of Dratini swimming on the surface of the water. These are unevolved form of Dragonair, the Skill that the Warden uses to Surf everywhere. Dratini are blue and white like Dragonair but they are only about five feet long where as I've heard Dragonair are closer to thirteen feet long!

By the edge of the water are Tangela which I can only describe as a blue bush that has feet and walks. More specifically I guess the body of the animal is more like tangled vines than branches from a tree hence the name. I think Erika from Celadon City used this Skill for battle, and that's cool, but I think they look kind of weird. As I pass by, one of them turns toward me, and I see two glowing eyes glare at me under the coils. Yikes!

Getting out of the water, I cross into the trees without running into anymore Pokemon. I'm almost surprised at this, but the truth is that wild animals are usually kind of skittish. The first day I came to move logs from this section I saw Exeggcute and Rhyhorn, two very different animals. Exeggcute looks like a half dozen of eggs with faces that hop around together like they are attached somehow by a spring. I even think they can mimic language as I've heard them "say" things to each other that the workers were saying like "log" or "push" or "move it!" I found them pretty annoying actually.

And the Rhyhorn are big rock covered beasts that charge things with their bony outgrowths then turn and run. Actually both of these guys were annoying. I'm glad to be leaving this place and these Pokemon for awhile.

When I cross back into town, Koga is standing by the gate waiting for me with a crowd of young trainers. How the heck does he always beat me here? He is so sneaky fast! I guess there is a reason he wears that ninja costume after all. Who are these people?

"Red! Long time no see!"

"Ha ha, yeah right! So what's up?"

"Well I know you have been conditioning your body for the rough terrain of the Safari Zone and doing us a public service for the past several days. I can't thank you enough for that!"

"Ah, I'm happy to. Thanks for getting me out of that hospital!"

"Well I'm glad you feel that way. So then, you noticed some trainers are here no doubt? I took the liberty of getting some of my media friends to let trainers of Kanto know they need to pitch in where they can either by donating money or helping out putting their towns back together. Some of them have offered a lot of their resources in fact. I was quite impressed."

"Wow, that's so cool! But…"

"But why are these guys here? Well some of them truly believe that they can't help Kanto by fighting for their homeland and getting stronger. These individuals with me today have all agreed to help train the person they believe could be the next Monster Training Champion, the Hero of Kanto."

"You mean...Blue? Yellow?"

"No, not him son. You! We all agree that one youth has stepped up to bat more times than any other and stole our hearts. You will lead Kanto into the new era."

"Wait really? You can't be serious. I fought Giovanni, the head of Team Rocket, and I lost!"

"You did, yes, but not with him making him bleed first. I think Team Rocket expected us to roll over and play dead as they took over our country, and though we've had our losers you have not allow the spirit of Kanto itself to give up. Not by a long shot! I didn't tell you this, but there is reason I've encouraged Yellow to Fly you here instead of letting you walk. A reason why I keep you here until dark. It isn't just because I want you to be with your family."

"You mean the crowds of people outside Fuchsia City? I DO watch TV!"

"Ha! Yes, your fans have been barricaded from entering Fuchsia City until now. This is the first round of people I've let into the city since you left the hospital that didn't already live here. I've made following you in my city a lawful offense if you can believe it, but that comes with the promise that now, after so much waiting, the people can see their hero and help him. Kanto can help their Champion get back on his feet and get stronger than ever before."

At this statement I'm truly lost for words. I've never felt more valuable as a person than I do right now. At the instruction of Koga, the crowd forms a line to meet with me. Some of them want autographs or selfies with me while others want to fight and train against me. I get everyone that wants to train to stick around after I get through the others first and promise to fight them on the beach at the south side of town.

There are trainers that are really weak and don't put up much of a fight, but I do my best to encourage them and find a way to compliment them. The stronger trainers are less common, but I'm thankful to spar with them. I feel my spirits rise as I fight and get my Skill Levels up, but even more rewarding is the idea that the people of Kanto have chosen me to get them all a little tougher than before. No one wants to be under the thumb of Team Rocket anymore.

The crowd eventually disperses that night, and as routine I return back to Saffron to see Green and our mothers in the hospital then sleep at the Focus. Still no sign of her waking from the coma, but she appears to be at peace which is news I'll take any day.

When I come back the next day, a new crowd is waiting for me to train. I take them on and a new rhythm develops. Each new day is met with journeys into the SZ, rough physical conditioning as well as exploration in nature, communion with friends and strangers, and the rush of intense battle.

In what feels like no time at all, three weeks have passed since I left the hospital. I'm feeling like a new man, confident and strong. My Levels have all risen to 51, and I can feel a little bit more definition and slight bulk added to my arms and legs. Sweet! My endurance and longevity have increased threefold and Flying and Surfing has started to feel like second nature to me. Using Strength to move objects is still confusing to me, but I can at least move a single boulder if not really slowly a few feet at a time. I'm not dismayed but optimistic about the journey ahead.

"Red, are you ready to take on Koga today?"

"I believe so, Yellow. Wish me luck!"

"Do you believe in luck?"

"Ha, not really. It's just a saying I guess. I believe my father wanted me to serve Kanto and do whatever it takes to protect her from evil. I've committed myself to that idea with all I am, and today I truly believe that I can face Koga and win."

I've done my best to get in shape like Koga by Strengthing, running, and fighting in battle for long periods of time without break. For a guy nearly twice my age, he's quite light on his feet and hard to keep up with, but I know I'm getting better. We haven't actually fought each other yet, but I've seen him in battle and know his learnset, mostly Poison Pokemon Skills. He won't be a pushover, but I can take him.

"Well I'm glad to hear that. I hope you're OK with fighting on Plum Street? This will be a first for the MTC!"

"Yeah, it will be fun I think?"

Despite our success in repairing much of the SZ, we were not able to spend much time repairing buildings that were damaged during the last Team Rocket attack which included the Fuchsia City Gym at the corner of Plum and Apple Streets.

At Koga's suggestion, we agreed to fight today on a blocked street in front of the building's construction. People will be standing all around dividers with cameras and probably vendors in their faces. It's not traditional, but that's OK. I just need to get this Belt and catch up with Blue. Last I heard he was leaving Cinnabar Island and heading back to Viridian City for his last one.

Yellow walks with me like an armed escort down the packed streets of Fuchsia as we near plum Street. There waiting on the sidewalk in his black outfit and gold scarf is Koga. Like many times before, he stands with a smile on his face but a determination in his eyes like a predator ready to pounce on its prey, but that won't be me. I have to win. All of Kanto is watching, and I don't want them to lose hope in me. After this battle, I'm going to get lunch with Mom and check on Green, but I'll have to think about later. Now I have to fight.


	15. Appendix: Commonly Asked Questions

Appendix

"Red, you should read this."

"Uh…what is this?"

"Just read it, Red."

"All right. Let me have it."

Monster Training Championship: Commonly Asked Questions

Q: What is the MTC? What is a Trainer? Who should join?  
A: MTC is a commonly used abbreviation for the Monster Training Championship, the premier martial arts program started in Kanto and taking the world by storm. A Trainer is any person participating in this program. Individuals join the MTC for reasons ranging becoming a hobbyist, entertainer, public service worker, and military personnel. The opportunities are endless!

Q: How do you advance in the MTC?  
A: Trainers in Kanto can collect up to 8 Belts after beating a Designated Gym Leader or qualified staff in combat. All qualifying MTC matches must be witnessed by at least two other individuals of good reputation though typical matches are recorded on film and available for public review. Once a Trainer collects a Belt in one location, he can not collect another Belt at this same location to advance in the MTC though additional training in one or all of the qualified Kanto gyms is generally encouraged. Once the Trainer collects a Belt of one level, he cannot collect a qualifying Belt of the same or equal level from the same or different Gym.

Q: What requirements are there to become a Trainer?  
A: All individuals wishing to join the MTC must register with their home town, city, or surrounding area officiating office and consent to any and all local agreements. An individual must be the age of 18 or older to join the MTC independently, but an individual can join at the age of 10 and up if request to become a Trainer is followed by signed consent of both a parent and pediatrician. Any and all participants of the MTC must submit to an initial physical evaluation and subsequent physical once year following acceptance. Should any person fail to get these basic requirements or fail their physical evaluation, they will not be allowed to acceptance into the MTC.

Q: What do you need to start?  
A: All trainers must have access to an accredited Bill 3.0 Skillfinder or newer edition. Information about where to get an accredited Skillfinder can be found at your local MTC officiating office. You will also need Element Crystals.

Q: What are Element Crystals?  
A: Element Crystals are natural stones found nature combined with genetically engineered bacteria from Pokémon. When the surface of an Element Crystal comes in contact with a wild Pokémon a pairing forms. Once the pairing forms with this Crystal, the Pokémon and Crystal cannot be impaired unless the stone and contents are destroyed by a qualified Deleter. (Information on qualified Deleters can be found at your local officiating office.)

Q: Can you explain more about pairings? How do they work?  
A: Trainers will use an Element Crystal to make contact with wild Pokémon and then crack the charges Skill over their foreheads. The Skill is charged once the color on the stone changes to reflect to corresponding Ability typing. (Typing and related material found in Monster Training Handbook) Once the resin in a Crystal touches skin, the Element Skill will begin to spread throughout the bloodstream and pair with the user's genetic material. An individual is advised to pair up to six different Skills but any more can cause disruptions in the user's genetic material and lead to various medical health conditions. Please let your doctor know about any concerns that arise after a successful pairing or pairing attempt.

Q: What is a Skillfinder? How does it work?  
A: A Skillfinder is an apparatus that is externally implanted into back of the wrist of choice by a qualified professional at the time of acceptance into the MTC. The Skillfinder monitors the mental and physical health of the given user and also stores data on the user's genetic data and pairing externally implanted Pokémon Elements. A display on the Skillfinder screen will show changes in real time to the related data of human user, Pokémon abilities, and pairing. Please let an official or know if anything damage is done to your Skillfinder in battle or otherwise as this can damage pairings and cause related medical health conditions.

Q: What is a Pokémon? What does this have to do with my training?  
A: Pokémon (Japanese) or Pocket Monsters (English) are creatures found in nature with stronger than usual abilities or Elements. Pokémon are abundant though not exclusive to the nation of Kanto and have various Abilities that are used by Trainers during battle. Having an adequate knowledge of Abilities and Element related Skills or simply ES is crucial to becoming an effective Trainer. (For more information on Element Skills and Abilities, please the related materials in the Monster Training Handbook; Monsters and Fighting like Them.)

Q: How do I train?

A: In order to train, an individual must condition various aspects of their physical health. It is advised that Trainers eat a well balanced diet, get quality sleep each night, and devote time to Monster Training as well as strength and conditioning..

Q: How do I win a battle? What should I know about items and costs?

A: Matches between Trainers are determined by the status of the individual's Skillfinders. As Trainers fight one another, they will use various Monster Skills to do damage to one another. The damage will be tracked on the corresponding Trainer's Skillfinder and should the active Skill pairing be sufficiently damaged, the Skill will "break" or fail to work and the Trainer will be unable to use Abilities from that Skill.

When an active or currently used Skill fails or breaks, the Trainer must transition to another Skill. This will take only a few seconds but be warned that an opponent is not obligated to wait for the transitional period to end. Should all of a Trainer's Skills break they will lose all ability to fight and lose the match. The last standing Trainer wins the match. Losers are required to pay winners a town issued fee to winners. Failure to pay fees to any Trainer can leave the Trainer at fault to subsequent review and possible termination from the MTC. Items can be used to modify and repair damage to the physical body of the Trainer as well as status changes in corresponding Skills. (For more information on Items look for the Items section in Monster Training Handbook.)


	16. Fuchsia City 2 (Koga)

27

"TRAINERS! ARE YOU PREPARED TO FIGHT?"

Yellow looks to both of us. Koga and I nod to him than look back at one another and bow.

"HAJIME!"

Koga sprints towards me with tiny pouches in his hands, but I don't want to wait for him to throw them at me, so I attack first. I've learned some new moves in the last several weeks, and I won't hesitate to use any and all of them in this fight. As I suck in air into my lungs and blow up my chest, a burning sensation courses through my body from head to toe and finally reaches my myself, I open my mouth and unleash an unavoidable surge of fire.

"Look!" yells a spectator. "He's using Flamethrower!"

Koga jumps above my wall of flames but not without choking on the smoke as the heat rises after him. He slams hard onto the ground next to me and tries to sling Toxic gas at me, but I'm much too fast for him. Jumping into the sky, I bring my arms together with a great speed into a powerful clap, my favorite Wing Attack, and send him back into the flames.

Crack!

As the flames get taller, I lose sight of Koga and Fly up into the sky to find him. He's gone!

"Red, keep up!"

Turning to my right to the sound my of Koga's voice, I look just in time to see Koga jumping off of a nearby rooftop straight for me. Grabbing onto me, I try to break his hold on me, but it's no use! I feel his arms wrap tighter and tighter around me and the odd sensation of heat coming from his body. Actually this is heat is incredible! What's happening? Something is wrong? Looking at his face and skin, I see it glow bright as the sun and then…

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

At first all I sense a great deal of heat and a blinding light. Oh, it burns! And the pressure is so great! What is that ringing? Then my vision and sense of touch go out, and the only way I can describe the experience is like falling under the surface of a hot bath with the lights out and not having any sides to grab onto.

"Red?"

"RED! Hey, look he's getting up!"

And just when I thought I might never see or feel again, my vision comes back, and I find myself lying face down on the sidewalk. I...I have have tremendous pain all over my right side. Oh, this throbbing won't stop! I shift my weight onto my left side to help me get back up to my feet. I think...yes, my Charizard Skill just cracked. I'll switch to my Gyrados Skill.

I'm no sooner transitioned when the last of the smoke clears and Koga appears a few feet in front of me. Looking down at his hands, I see the familiar looking jars of Sludge reveal themselves just as the contents come flying out towards me. I try my best to dodge, but I'm just not fast enough.

"Ack!"

I recoil my arm in pain as the Poison starts spreading through my veins. Flipping open my jacket cover, I reach for an Antidote, but Koga keeps throwing more Sludge at me, and I can't get a moment to grab the bottle. I'm not surprised. I have done my best to avoid using Items during an actual match as time doesn't stop for a Trainer to use one and basically leaves you wide open for an easy attack from an opponent.

All the same, I usually bring Potions and Antidotes with me wherever I go and try to apply them as needed after a match. More recently I tried to stock up on Full Heals which can help with any status impairment be it Poison, Burn, or Paralysis. I also have a couple of Full Restores which are a bit pricy but can restore status as well as health to all of my Skills. They are the ultimate life saver, but I only have the two that I have because some trainers gave them to me.

BAAAAAAAM!

With my focus off, Koga gets in a quick Tackle knocking me hard into the sidewalk once more. As he comes in close for another strike, I lunge forward and Bite him making him Flinch and pull his arm back. I concentrate my energy into the palms of my hands and feel it rise in pressure. Just as Koga seems to bring his attention back to the moment, I release the deadly Hydro Pump, dual blasts of water with power similar to that of a firetruck hose and drive Koga back. He braces himself for as long as he can but is soon swept away by the powerful current and sliding down the street on his side. He struggles for just a moment then goes still.

Crack!

I stop and take a deep breath as Koga transitions to his final Skill. I don't know what he has planned for me, but I'm noticing he's digging into some pouches on his side for some kind of powder.I won't wait to see what that stuff is though! I concentrate more water into my hands again only this time I swing my arms apart then back together to make a small cyclone of water form in the air headed towards my opponent. The Twister is nearly as big as me when formed but slowly gains size and momentum as it approaches Koga. He throws up his hands, but the attack again flushes him back and then to the ground. As he tries to get back up, I shoot one final Twister towards him, and this time he doesn't get back up.

Crack!

At first I'm not sure if the fight is over or not. No one claps or says a word. A large group of fans in Fuchsia City have been watching every move Koga and I make until now as well as viewers at home as I've noticed some people are recording the match with their smartphones which means this fight is now on the internet. After a long silence, I finally hear Koga speak.

"Well...I think you've earned the Soul Belt, Red!"

Koga reaches into his gi and pulls out a black Belt with a solid Pink heart emblem on it's side and holds it into the sky as he lays still on his back. The crowd erupts into cheers and applause leaving me speechless. I step forward and take Koga's hand to help him up then take the belt from him. I won? I won! Wow! Only two left to go.

"Red, I know this may seem like a rush, but you are ahead of the game. Don't hesitate! Get to Cinnabar Island and grab the next belt right away."

"You mean that?"

"Yes, and then go back and check Green tonight. I'll be there waiting for you with Sabrina."

"Deal!"

28

Heading down the street to the south side of town, I dash into a Focus to change into my Big's Evertone swimsuit then run back out with my possessions stowed away in my Bill Box in small suit pocket. I almost forgot about this thing until I came to the Safari Zone. I tried swimming in regular clothes and the swimsuit, and well, the suit makes you feel more serious about the swim not to mention it dries much faster than my other clothes do. There just is no excuse for not donning this cool swimsuit before going Surfing.

I see the beach in view and off to the side a sign with the caption "Route 19." Without another thought, I wade out into the waters and begin Surfing straight ahead. Swimmers wave at me and encourage me to fight them as I pass by, but I try my best to simply ignore them. In part because several of the girls are wearing the most revealing bikinis I've ever seen, and I don't need my eyes or mind wandering plus I remember fighting with Misty back in Cerulean and how disorienting that was. If I can avoid fighting all of these trainers in the water, I'll feel amazing. I just can't stop, I' ve got to keep going and...wait...who's that?

In the waters ahead of me is a young girl who seems oddly familiar. I can acknowledge I know her face but not how I know it. Who is she?

"Hello? Are you looking at me?"

"Uh...sorry, I...OH! Is your name Yumi?"

"Why, um, yes it is. And how do you know my name?"

"I...I think I met your brother, Bill."

"OH! How is he? You talked about me?"

"Uh...well that's sort of complicated...I'm trying to remember all what he said."

But in my head, I know the truth. I thought I was talking to Bill at the time, but I was speaking to Mewtwo in disguise. He gave me Bill's tickets to get on the SS Anne then a card for Yumi. I almost forgot!

"I...he told me to give you a letter actually. I didn't open it. I actually forgot I even had it...hold on while I pout my Bill Box…"

"Oh? Well take your time. Can I ask what your name is stranger?"

I float over to a tiny island and open the Bill Box on solid ground then begin rummaging through it.

"Oh sorry, my name is Red!"

"Red? Are you the Red from TV? The one that does all of the fighting?"

"I am. Why?"

"Oh, well I don't really follow the fighting stuff much, but my coworkers talk about it all the time. You're the only Red I know of. Cool! Should I be asking for your autograph then?"

"Oh, I'm not that big of a deal, honest! I...oh, here it is!"

I take out the envelope and hand it to Yumi as she steps onto the island and wipes he hands off on her grass. She quickly tears it open and starts reading through a handwritten letter I've had stashed away in my bags for weeks. I'm glad I got it to here after all. Wait? Is she crying?

"Is something wrong?"

"Wrong...no, but Red, how did you get this?"

"Huh? No! I told you it was given to me by…"

"But Bill didn't write this letter...it's from...from my late fiance!"

"I...oh! I had no idea! I'm sorry for your loss. I thought it was from Bill. "

"It's...OK, really! I was so heartbroken when he died last winter at such a young age. It was a tragedy in itself, but before he died Bill and my Everett got into a terrible fight. I tried to get in the middle and then EVerett and I said such horrible things to one another. We were both so hurt and pushed each other away. Everett left for a business trip to america and not long after he died in a car accident! He was barely even there for 48 hours. I was so devastated at losing him but also at the thought that he died holding anger against me in his heart. I was a miserable wreck so I left my brother and moved to Fuchsia City. My mother came down with me to help me get my affairs back in order and ended up staying. My brother and I haven't talked since the funeral. At least I've not returned any of his calls."

"I see, but you said the letter wasn't from Bill. Who was it from?"

"OH! That's just it! This is a letter from my Everett!" Yumi says proudly waving the letter in the air. "He wrote me saying that he wanted to apologize for his behavior and wanted me to know how much he loved me. Oh, he wanted to reconcile all this time, and I didn't know it! I'm so happy, but why...why would Bill not simply share this with me before now."

"Uh...maybe he was afraid you weren't ready for it until now."

"I...I guess that makes sense, but then he gave this letter to you then? He must have thought you were someone trustworthy to send such a letter down here. I bet he knew I'd throw it away if I thought it was from him. Smart move! Well Red, I'm impressed and forever in your debt. I'll start watching your battles adn routing for you next chance I get. I...I can't thank you enough for this!"

Yumi comes close and hugs me tightly then steps back. I nod and get my things back into my Bill Box. I don't know why Bill would hide this letter or if he did at all. I know that Mewtwo gave it to me. He knows what really happened.

With a smile and a wave, I bid farewell to Yumi and return to Surfing down Route 19. I somehow think that I'll have to speak with Yumi or her brother, Bill, again. I wish I hadn't run into her here, but now it's too late to think about. Speed ahead Red!

I Surf for several minutes at a steady pace with no interaction from other swimmers much to my relief and almost start to zone out when I look up and see a wall of rocks. Whoa! I slow myself down and stop to look around. Above my head by about six feet sits a small sign reading "Route 20" and an arrow pointing to the right so I touch the rocks, turn my body, and bound forward towards Route 20. The next several feet are ripe with large rocks and strong currents. I have to push myself to not get swept into the walls of stone or swept back by there are no trainers around here at all, and it's almost quiet ignoring the sound of waves splashing.

But as I make way close to the next patch of land, I start to get very, very cold, and just as I'm starting to wonder why, I run into a clump of ice. This little iceberg is twice the size of my body for that measure! Though the small ice is smooth, it is incredibly cold and unbearable to touch for long. I paddle away from it only to run into another chunk of ice. Looking up, I see that the whole sea is littered with these tiny ice balls separating me from the big island now appearing far ahead of me.

"Try not to touch them, and you'll be fine!"

Turning to look towards the voice, I see Yellow standing on top of a small island to the right of the big one in front of me. The island appears to have a small door size entrance that leads into an underground cavern of some kind. Yellow doesn't have on his usual long coat but instead a black and yellow bodysuit. I'm sure it's Evertone, and probably Big's like mine.

"What brings you all the way out here?"

"I'm headed to Cinnabar Island for the next Belt. What are YOU doing out here?"

"OH! Funny you should ask. It's actually kind of annoying, but I'm afraid that one consequence of all this violence in Kanto is that a lot of Pokemon have been upset by the panic. In particular, there are three Pokemon that have started acting out all around Kanto, a trio of rare birds."

"Birds? Your mission is to catch some birds?"

"Hey, don't judge! These are no ordinary birds. It may not look like it, but there used to be a much bigger island here, and now it's mostly underwater because of an Ice type Pokemon. IP is calling it Articuno."

"Articuno?"

"Yes, code name for a creature from the arctic and the number one."

"Oh, what about the other two?"

"Well, back at the Power Plant there was an incident with machines attacking workers we had to look into…"

"I remember hearing about that, there were Voltorb and Electrode running around."

"Yes, and actually these floating magnet robots were there, too. They're called Magnemite, the single ones that is, and Magneton, the ones that have three stuck together. They shock people if you get to close to them!"

"Oh, that's not good! But hey, what does that have to do with these birds?"

"Well that's it. The second bird, Zapdos, is an Electric type Pokemon, and it has been overcharging generators and causing the robots to malfunction. We thought the robots were just defective, but it was Zapdos all along! Real pain if you ask me!"

"OH wow! And there is a third one?"

"Yes, Moltres. We haven't seen that bird in several days though a young boy told an officer yesterday that he saw it Flying towards Viridian City. I'm afraid she may be the most powerful of the three, a fiery phoenix, she burn a whole city down with a single breath if provoked. So far though it sounds like she has simply been Flying around and feeding at night in isolated areas. This would keep most people away from her, but you know how Kanto is, people run off into the woods to find Pokemon Skills."

"Well if I get done with Cinnabar Island soon enough maybe I'll head to Viridian next and look for him. That is where the last Belt is."

"Ha! That's the spirit! But seriously, don't you worry about it. The IP will take care of these animals. You go ahead and focus on your training. You're getting near the end of this Belt collecting process aren't you?"

"Down to two!"

"Awesome! Well, Cinnabar is right there," Yellow says pointing at the bigger island ahead. "Good luck!"

We say our goodbyes and I turn to Surf onward. Behind me I hear Yellow say over his phone to someone "yeah, the Blizzard attack nearly killed me….no...I used the Silph Ball…." Looking back for just a second, I see Yellow holding a metallic looking ball with a red top and white bottom in his hand. This Item looks familiar to the one used in that Catch'em All game found at the Game Corner. Weird! But I quickly turn my attention back to Cinnabar. I've got to stay focused for my next Belt!


	17. Cinnabar Island (Blaine)

29

Stepping onto the shores of Cinnabar Island, I'm instantly greeted by a small crowd of people. Everyone wants to ask me about my training and my battle with Koga, but I can't stay and chat. I tell them I appreciate their support and kindly push my way through the crowd.

"HEY! RED!"

Looking up the road, I see a man in a lab coat and thick framed glasses staring intently at me. Do I know this guy? What does he want with me?

"RED! We've been waiting for you. Please come here!"

We? But then I'm looking for any excuse to get off this busy street for a second. I nod and walk towards him then he motions for me to follow him into a very modern looking building. A sign outside the door reads "Pokegenetics: From History Past to Promising Future." Oh man, this ought to be good!

When I step into the lab, I'm greeted once again by a crowd of people, but this time people I know including Dr. Oak, Bill, and Dr. Fuji.

"Ah ha! I told you he'd be here!" says Oak.

"Well good, because he has some explaining to do!" Bill starts.

All I can think is "UH OH!"

"Hey, RED! I just got off the phone with my sister. Yumi said she was was excited to hear that you and I were old buddies! Apparently I gave you my tickets to board the SS Anne, but you know what's kind of funny? I just can't seem to remember doing such a thing!"

"Um...OK, I'll explain myself….when I was in Cerulean City, by your house actually, I heard someone crying for help. I went to go and see what was the matter and found you in your basement. Actually I thought it was you, but I found out later it wasn't."

"What are you babbling on about? I found you walking around my house and kicked you out. I remember that part, but I wasn't in the basement."

"That's true, YOU weren't, but there is a creature that can shapeshift, a Pokemon named…"

"Mewtwo...What do you know about him?"

"Not much to be honest, but he was there pretending to be you and told me to give a letter to Yumi and then gave me those tickets as a reward."

"Oh, how nice of Mewtwo! Do you even know what the letter was?"

"I never opened it, but when I gave it to Yumi, she did, and it was…"

"A letter written by her fiance right before he died asking for peace between them. I heard from her. But I never had such a letter, where did you get it?"

"I already told you! I got it from Mewtwo!"

"I think he's telling the truth, Bill," Fuji says. but then you all have something to explain to me, too!" I respond.

"But that means that Mewtwo would have had to have followed Everett across the ocean...he would do that...why?"

"Bill, isn't it obvious?" Oak asks. "Mewtwo has forgiven you. He tried to do something good by getting that letter to Yumi.

"But why give the letter to Red and from my basement. I don't get...oh no! A man came to my door offering me a letter from Yumi's 'lover' one day! Oh, he was talking strange, and I thought he was playing a prank on me. I told him to leave and then...Red showed up at my house the next day!"

"Yes, I've learned that Mewtwo is still learning how to speak like a human. He is a Pokemon. That strange man you saw had to be him!"

"Oh my gosh! I can't believe this! Mewtwo….and Everett really wrote it…"

Bill excuses himself from the group for a moment to wipe away some tears. I actually respect Bill more now knowing that he has feelings like the rest of us. But now it's time for me to interrogate people.

"You know Red. Those tickets were ones that I bought for Yumi and Everett to enjoy together. I bought them a week before he died, and I never did return them. I was so upset that my sister moved away. I'm glad you got the tickets after all."

"Thanks, Bill. You should go and see your sister after this. She's ready to see you now."

Bill reaches out and shakes my hand. With a quick smile and nod, I know now that there is no more trouble between him and me, but there are things that I need to ask Oak now.

"OK, well now that we cleared that up, I want to get some answers, too. Oak, I went on this journey for some self discovery, but you told everyone on the news that I was working for the Champion. How is that? What is the Champion's goal? Also, it seems like you all know about Mewtwo, but I want to know how."

"You make some good points, Red." Oak says. "Well...hmm…"

"Oh, just show him, Sam!" Bill yells.

"Fine! I will, but show some respect," Oak replies. "Mashmo! Come!"

Then to my surprise, the Champion of Kanto, Mashmo Cohen, walks right into the lab and stands before me, but something is wrong. Looking into his eyes closely, I can see that his pupils are not fixated on me or anyone in the room. It's like he is in some sort of daze, like he's sleep walking.

"OK now Mashmo. I want you to Transform!"

And before my eyes, Mashmo glows a bright yellow then purple and shrinks in size and shape. I nearly half to cover my face the room becomes so bright! When the light fades, all I can see on the ground is a pink slime like creature with eyes.

"Meet Ditto," Oak says. "He was a failed experiment at a cloning procedure we performed ages ago and has been the face of the Champion for years."

"Ditto? Face of the Champion?"

"The truth is the real Mashmo Cohen died years ago during the war...but we kept that a secret from everyone until now."

"What? Why keep his death a secret? Wasn't he a war veteran? He deserves to be honored, not part of some conspiracy!"

"You are right, Red, we see that our hastily made plan only made things worse but don't misunderstand me. Mashmo died during the war but not because of it, not directly."

"...He was murdered!"

"Well...not murdered, but killed all the same...We were working on a cloning project to create an army of Mew with minimal upgrades if possible and…"

"An army of Mew? Like Mewtwo?"

"Actually almost exactly like Mewtwo!" Oak says.

He digs into his coat pocket and pulls out some pictures from the lab showing a small glass cylinder filled with liquid and a pink cat like creature with a tail three times the length of the rest of it's body. The caption under the tank reads "Mew Prime." Another picture shows a much larger tank with a cat like creature inside only this one is as tall as man and stands upright like one, too. With paw like hands and defined arm and leg muscles and plated chest muscles, this creature appears to a be hybrid of human and cat DNA. the caption under this tank read "Mewtwo." So that's what he really looks like!

"Mewtwo...he's part human? You made a being fused with different species DNA?"

"No, ha ha. I'm afraid that science simply wouldn't allow that though I'll admit we did try," Oak groans. "No, we actually cloned Mew and injected the clones with various enzymes and later Skills from other Pokemon to test the results. Most of our work ended up with dead embryos and lots of headaches, but one clone made it to adulthood, Mewtwo. He was however very scared of our lab and overwhelmed by his own Psychic Abilities. We tried to subdue him but only made him agitated and proceeded to destroy the lab."

"It was my fault!" Bill adds. "I told Mewtwo that he was a weapon, a clone of a powerful Pokemon meant to serve Kanto, and he just lost it!"

"Our old lab happened to be located in the sublevel of a famous attraction in Cinnabar called the Pokemon Mansion. A privately owned masterpiece, the Mansion was originally owned by a former Champion years ago…"

"I don't care about that! What happened to Mashmo?"

"Oh right! Well Mashmo and several others were enjoying a nice meal in the restaurant above us when Mewtwo began his rampage. He used his Psychic powers and leveled most of the building to the ground. How any of us survived the implosion and chaos I'll never understand, but there were several casualties including Mashmo. One point worth mentioning though was that Bill, Fuji, Blaine, and I were the only ones that were alive and present when his body was discovered."

"We had the thought that if word got out that we created an animal that killed the Champion not only would we go to jail, but the whole country would fall into chaos!"

"So you made this Ditto thing pretend to be Mashmo...for seven years?" I say pointing at the blob creature.

Ditto is so calm and unsuspecting. I can't imagine it having any ulterior motives. The poor thing doesn't even know what he's been doing all this time.

"Did they tell you that Bill the Inventor died that night, too? He was replaced by a Ditto, too."

Turning around to the door, we see an older looking gentleman enter the room. This man is bald with a big white mustache and sunshades on even though he's inside.

"Blaine, you showed!"

"Whatever, don't let me interrupt the high school reunion. I have a Gym to back to. Red, when you're done talking to these dirty old men, I'll be ready to fight you for that Belt. Come ready!"

And without a goodbye, the old man turns and walks back out the door. Blaine, he must be the City Gym Leader. And what did he mean about high school reunion? He used to work with them didn't he? And Bill's grandfather died?

"Bill, I was told that your grandfather died last year of old age."

"I wish that were true. Blaine was right. I couldn't face my family and tell them that I had killed my own grandfather by unleashing a monster onto the world."

"So you covered up your mistake by making a Ditto fake and that made everything OK? Why didn't you make a fake fiance come back home to your sister? You could have prevented her from grieving."

"I...the thought had crossed my mind, but luckily this time the report of his death made it back to us before I could come up with the same stupid plan. Besides as good as Ditto can be at imitating people, they can't BE people. It would have been much harder to fool a woman that her husband was alive than to fool a camera."

"Well I'm glad you're ware of that, but here's something I don't get. Ditto appears on TV as Mashmo, but he doesn't decide on important political decisions for Kanto, does he? Who's been steering this ship for the past seven years?"

"I have," Oak answers. "I have acted as interim Champion for the last seven years though publicly I am only his advisor."

"What?"

"That is why I told the public that you were working on a mission for the Champion. I had commissioned you though you didn't know it at the time. I recruited three teens from Pallet with incredible ability for academics, quick learning, and good genes. All of you had family that were expert Monster Trainers, and enough spirit to move mountains, I knew if I just gave you a push you'd go anywhere."

"Well I should be flattered I think. I just realized the person I wanted to meet all these years was my neighbor. You're the man in charge...I wanted so badly to serve under you and do good for Kanto. I wanted to do something heroic like my father."

"And you have Red, you have given the people of Kanto hope!"

"But that's not the whole truth! You gave me that fancy Skillfinder with hopes I'd get stronger and face Team Rocket. You knew about them, but you didn't tell anyone! Why?"

"I did tell the IP about Kami Sakiki, their leader, and then I told them about you three. They were greatly troubled about his intentions but wanted to keep the public from panicking. Hearing about you made the IP feel reassured."

"That's why Yellow knew me, even when I just started my journey. He said he looked up to me, but I had no idea why."

"Yellow and many others all tried to ask me for my special Skillfinders, but I insisted on you three to the end. Question my methods if you must, but I think I made the right choice in picking you three."

"Well...but then...what did you know about Kami Sakiki? Why so secretive?"

"Well the short answer is because Kami Sakiki or as he calls himself Giovanni these days wants to expose not only us but several people in Kanto government."

"Can't say I blame him."

"Yes, but he wants to do it by attacking Kanto with the power of Mewtwo!"

"Oh! Oh, yes, that's right? I realized that after going to Lavender Town, but how did he even know Mewtwo existed?"

"He knew Mewtwo existed because he funded and requested the production of Mewtwo himself!"

"What? You made Mewtwo for the leader of Team Rocket!"

"I'm afraid we were duped. You see we had computer and telephone communication with Kanto government somewhat regularly before anything happened to Mashmo. Word had been going around that war which had been going on for several months at that time would soon escalate due to use of nuclear bombs. We received a request form Mashmo or so we thought for Mewtwo and were given the Mew specimen and some research into the procedure."

"We began making tests. We tried to clone everything and alter everything. It was mostly a waste, but some children were born."

"Like Summer!"

"That's right! And we did receive genetic information from a donor and successfully cloned him as well. We had no information with the sample other than a simple piece of paper with the word 'Silver' on it."

"Oh! Fuji you mentioned that name didn't you? Back in Lavender Town?"

"Yes, Red, I did. We would later do some DNA checking and determine that Silver was in fact the biological son of Giovanni. I regret that we weren't able to find him a home so we turned him into a local foster home, but somehow Silver got away. He's been on the run for the past two years and I doubt he's fully seven!"

"That's terrible! But wait, so Giovanni tricked you into making Mewtwo?"

"Yes, somehow he had the resources to hack our communications and pretend to be Mashmo. Looking back on the times, I think we were too focused on our egos to stop and think. Anyway that Mewtwo would escape, the real Mashmo made plans to come and see our lab and check on our projects. To us, that was the sign that we were doing Kanto some good. This wasn't just some mad scientist experiment!"

"But I don't get it! Why do this? Why build Mewtwo and attack Kanto, and what is his grudge against my Dad?"

"It's all due in part to the Big War. During those days, several countries got involved including Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, and Alola. We sent troops to the region outside of Kanto referred to now as Orre."

"It's a wasteland."

"Well it is now at least! Anyway we fought for nearly four years and the Mewtwo incident happened in the fourth year. What I'm about to tell you about happened in the first year of the war, and the details have never been publicly released."

"Well...go on then."

"OK, so word came in one day. A man in Kalos had discovered a Pokemon whose raw power could be harnessed to level all of Kanto, and he threatened to do just that! The Silver Unit was tasked with intercepting a ship west of Kanto, interrogating the crew, and taking any weapons and intel on board. They thought the ship was supposed to hold a skeleton crew with supplies, but in actuality, it was a fully stocked destroyer loaded with weaponry to make half of Kanto disappear in the blink of an eye. How this mix up happened…I don't know."

"Go on!"

"Anyway, the Silver Unit Surfed out there and realized what a mess they had got themselves into and one of them got on the radio back to the base on Orre. Red Unit was bunking near by and responded first. Your father and some brave men went out with boats and tried to fish out the Silver Unit before they were all blown away. About halfway out there though, the base decided that it was a suicide mission and asked them pull back out. There was no hope for the Silver Unit."

"They turned around and left them?"

"Yes, they had received orders to pull out and defend another position. They could have stayed and helped more I'm sure, but fishing out Grey Unit with the destroyer there was a surefire way for many of them to get killed. So all of Red Unit bailed, all of them except one man, Satoshi Himura. He brought his boat out as close as he could and saved about a dozen men all by himself while dodging torpedo attacks from the enemy. He had actually turned his ship around and was coming back but a torpedo finally sunk his ship. Kami Sakiki somehow managed to survive out there and came home to tell the tale."

"Kami Sakiki was listed under the Silver Unit's roster, but his body was never found so they assumed that he died and sank to the bottom of the ocean. He probably would have come out of the shadows or been just fine being a phantom for all I know. That is until they released that terrible fabrication in the news!"

"Fabrication?"

"Well as it happened, the military didn't want to take a bad rap for leaving those Silver boys out in the water to die so instead of taking the blame they threw them under the bus. Silver Unit went "rogue" and went into a suicide mission against an opponent they had no shot of beating simply because they were hot heads, and in doing his best to right their wrongs, Satoshi paid the ultimate price trying to fix their mistakes. Of course it was a horrible, terrible lie, but all of Silver Unit died, or so they thought, so who would refute the story?"

"But...but there were other soldiers...There were several people that would have been aware of this strike and heard it over the comms!"

"Yes, well, that is one thing you can blame the real Mashmo for not us, of course we did start to hear of the news from the emails we had back and forth with our funder. We thought it was Mashmo giving us a confession to his knowledge of what happened three years earlier but it was actually Giovanni revealing the seeds of his anger. A broken man with no wife and left to die a shameless death in the sea by his own country. He even had a child, but he never did come for him."

"Then this man, this crazy man that tried to kill me and kill...Green. He really isn't that out there is he? He's just vengeful. He just wants payback for what wrongs have been done to him! I can't...I can't believe I ever looked up to you Dr. Oak. I used to admire the Champion and now..."

"And...I won't argue with you on that Red. I know I've made my mistakes. That is the very reason Blue...well…"

"What about Blue?"

"Blue started becoming suspicious of me as he got older. He could ask tougher and tougher questions that I simply couldn't answer without giving myself away, and he knew it. He asked me about Team Rocket, and I gave myself away that I knew about them towards the beginning of your journey. While you were shopping with Green in Celadon, he uncovered some old journals on a shelf of the public library for crying out loud! I couldn't believe it, but then no one ever reads books anymore so it shouldn't surprised either. He found out about this lab and some of our projects even though I had never told him or Daisy about them. He didn't have much time to snoop with you around, but when you both went off to train elsewhere for a week , he studied each and every one of us through and through. Then to make matters worse, he was captured by Team Rocket! He told me they put him in some kind of box, and he asked them about their motives and learned about the boat scandal years ago during the war. Putting the pieces together, Blue has gotten further and further into this anger. It doesn't help that now he's been...using something."

"A drug? OH! He gave me one to try out. I think it was called a Rare Candy!"

"OH DEAR!"

"What is it?"

"Rare Candy...those were experimental drugs given to soldiers to help boost their performance in combat. Of course they yielded incredible results but over time they cause increased growth and activity in the amygdala causing headaches, sleep problems, and bouts of manic behavior and irritability. We nicknamed them Rage Bars, but I had hoped they were gone for good."

"Well he has been trading Skills and money for them to keep a firm step or two ahead of me on his path to the top. Goody, he join you up there!"

"Oh, my gosh, this is terrible! How could I be so blind to what is happening to my grandson? I need to go! I need to find him!"

"Oak...I hope you talk some sense into him, but this isn't over. I was hoping after all of my training to find a man that could lead me in the good fight, but now it looks like I'll have to find someone else. I'll stop Giovanni, I don't know how, but I will, but then you will tell the the truth about what happened during the war. ALL OF YOU!"

The men all nod to me quietly. Oak turns and leaves at once to find Blue and the others follow behind him. Turning to my left, I see the scientist guy that asked me to come here in the first place. I completely forgot about him.

"Oh, hey!"

"Hi!"

"Hey, I...didn't know that was going to happen. I just started working here like last week. Ha ha. Uh...should I like quit or something?"

"I would unless like you working with dishonest people."

"Ah, I'm good actually. Hey, before I leave though, there is something that our lab wanted to give you."

"Give me?"

"Yes, you may remember that several weeks back you stopped Team Rocket from stealing some fossils from Pewter City?"

"Yes."

"Well you may not have known this at the time, but some of those fossils were actually just on loan to the museum. We were relieved when you recovered them because we were able to use the fossils to replicate active Element Skills of extinct Pokemon. We thought you might like this one."

He hands me a small stone with a picture of fierce, flying dinosaur on it that looks grey and hard as a rock. A caption under the image reads "Aerodactyl."

"Whoa! You can do that?"

"I understand my colleagues have been in some shady business, but I hope I can reassure you that science itself is about the study and appreciation of the world we live in. I would say most of it can be a good thing."

"Thanks!"

I take the Crystal and stow it away in my in my Bill Box. I can't explain it, but for some reason, I think Green would like this Skill.

30

Waving good bye to the scientist, I exit the lab and run down the streets in search of Blaine. The Focus stands to my right and to my left is a set of large marble walls, a memorial where the Pokemon Mansion once stood. Straight ahead of me is the rest of town. I keep running down the street taking in the sights and smells of different restaurants. I smell something really good. Maybe I should stop and eat first? One restaurant in particular, the Sea Growl, has a big facade of a Growlithe's face and seems to offer some fancy hot dogs. I've seen Growlithe before, little striped red and black dogs that use Fire Abilities. Arcanine, their evolved form, is much more menacing though at over six feet tall and well over three hundred pounds. I think by comparison Arcanine looks more like a bear than a dog, but that's besides the point. Should I get a hotdog? Oh wait! Is that Blaine? Yeah, there he is!

I spot Blaine at the end of one street is a small overlook and railing for people to stop and watch the waves. A rolling tide crashes against the rocks and makes his long coat fly up like a cape in the breeze before settling back down. Like a sixth sense, Blaine turns around in my direction just as I stop in place. His sunshades train on me like the eyes of a wild tiger.

Passersby that were once walking by and laughing all make their way to side of the street and watch as Blaine approaches me. Does he want to battle with me right here? Gym battles are supposed to be fought due to protocol with the exception of the Fuchsia City Gym which was in shambles. Looking off to the northwest, I can't help but notice a big white building that has to be the Gym. Blaine gets within inches of my face before he speaks a word. I can smell something like tobacco on his lips and see tiny veins bulging in his neck now. A single drop of sweat slides down his forehead, but Blaine doesn't bother wiping it.

"HEADS UP CINNABAR! YOUR ENTERTAINMENT IS HERE!"

The crowd erupts in cheers as Blaine points a finger straight ahead at me. Blaine smiles but am I sensing bitterness in that tone of voice? Looking all around us, it's clear that the way Blaine and his city feel couldn't be more polarized. I'm an attraction, a trend to them, and Blaine is bridge troll, the bouncer, the winnowing fork. He lowers his voice when he gets in arm's reach of me.

"They love you Red, and they don't even know who you are."

But you do?"

"I do. Well two options really," he says taking off his coat and throwing it to the ground then loosens his tie and throws it down as well.

"Option A: You're one with Oak and the others, a conspirator, a charlatan that will go through the motions of our government system to convince us you are one of us, but then one day, when we stop paying attention to you for just a moment, you'll do whatever you need to put your pieces closer to the finish line."

"And option B?"

"Option B: You're a crazy idealist trying to prove something, and you walked right into a web of lies, but now you're in too deep to find your way back out. One day when the dust settles, you'll be dead and forgotten just like your father."

"What...YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

I feel heat rising to my face. Some of the spectators even giggle a little. Why? Did he say anything remotely funny? No!

"HA HA, GOOD LINE KID! Come on, now, don't you want to fight me? You're not afraid of hurting a Gym Leader are you?"

"No...I…"

"Well what, come on don't tell me you don't want to take a swing at the only leader that didn't come to your little girlfriend's rescue."

Some people in the crowd gasps and cover their mouths in suspense.

"WHAT...what did you say?"

"I was asked if I could come and help fight Team Rocket in Saffron or Fuchsia, and I was about to say Saffron when I realized Green was in danger. Man, I thought you idiots would have been dead by now so all this hype would be over but noooooo, of course not, so when I heard that one of you might actually die I changed my mind and went to Fuchsia..."

SLAAAAAAAAASH!

Before I even process fully what he has said to me, I found myself standing over the Gym Leader with fingers extended like knives. Blood from his face drips to the ground the points of the blades. Slash is a more deadly ability than Scratch, but not as deadly as I feel right now. I don't care about a match with Blaine or Belts or about these stupid people watching me right now. I won't let him like this about the people I care about most.

"Ah, good hit, but is that all? You have to make this look real. We all know you'll go after Blue's sister the second Green dies!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

After a few seconds, I finally stop myself. Blaine is lying on his side with blood on his shirt. His crumpled up glasses are now somewhere under his back. I want him to take me serious, but he now he's smiling. He's smiling!

"THIS IS NOT A JOKE! FIGHT ME! FIGHT ME BLAINE!"

"Isn't this what you wanted for the cameras, Red? OH, I almost forgot!"

Blaine laughs and turning onto his stomach, he reaches out for his lab coat. At first I have no idea what he's up to. Maybe he isn't the Gym Leader? Maybe I am just attacking some random man? Maybe he's crazy? Is this some kind of scheme? But then he pulls his hand out of his lab coat pocket with a yellow belt, a red flame shining on the side for all to see.

"Here you go, Red!"

"Stop it."

"Oh, but Red, surely you know what this is? This is the Volcano Belt. You have to have this to become the Monster Champion. If you take it, you'll only have one Belt left to go, and you can clearly defeat me. Why, just look at me! GO ON EVERYONE! CLAP FOR YOU NEXT CHAMPION!"

But no one claps or says a word. Everyone seems to be getting this isn't normal. This isn't right. This isn't a game, and if it is, I'm not playing it. Maybe I'm the crazy one, but I won't feed into this talk any more.

I take a step back from Blaine letting his hand and the Belt in subject hover in place. I pull out my Bill Box then make it enlarge. Grabbing the six Belts I've gotten so far, I dump them all on the ground. That makes Blaine put his smile away. Looking at my wrist, I grab ahold of my Skillfinder and tug on it.

"Wait...you shouldn't do that."

"Shut up!"

"No, Red, seriously, that is going to hurt!"

But the Skillfinder doesn't come right off at first. It has spent the last two months linking to my body through my central nervous system, and my skin has actually sealed up around the places where the device punctured into my arm back at Oak's lab. When I finally dislodge it with a low "pop," I can barely stand it. In fact I fall to my knees overcome with pain and nausea. There is blood everywhere, so much blood. I'm feeling sick. I'm feeling so very sick. Don't close your eyes, Red, look at him. Look at Blaine in the eyes. And after a few moments I do. He looks horrified.

"Why...why would you do that?"

"My father...mock me...but not my father…let me die but not Omi...not Kyomi..."

"Red?"

"RED!"

"RED! RED! What happened to him?"

31

Waking up with my face pressed into the dirt, I reach for the earth with palms and try to push myself back up and try to push myself up. I don't know for how long, but I think I blacked out. It can't be long because Blaine hasn't moved an inch or the rest of the people around us for that matter.

"OH MY GOSH! Look he is getting up!"

"Red? Stop this, be still."

"SHUT UP!"

"DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT YOU LITTLE BRAT! I'M THE CINNABAR ISLAND GYM LEADER!"

"Yeah?" I say ignoring Blaine's protest and getting up to my knees. I reach for my Skillfinder and set it back in place where it once connected to my body. To my delight,some of the skin has already started trying to clot and seal, and when I place the Skillfinder back, I feel it connect back into position. I get back up to my feet and wipe the dirt and dried blood onto my jeans smearing the rouge in and making black splotches.

"What are you thinking, kid?"

"Thinking? I'm option B, Blaine, the crazy idealist. I didn't know what Oak was up to when I signed up for this adventure," I say looking to the people around me.

"I'll be honest. I was just a dumb kid hoping to find meaning in life and be something like my Dad. He was my hero…" I feel tears form in my eyes, I don't want to cry now in front of Blaine, but I ignore the urge to stop myself. "but...but one day he went off to war and didn't come back. I loved him, and then he was just gone! I never knew all the details of what happened in the war just that he was a hero, and that if I met the Champion one day, maybe he could help me find out what happened to him and in the meantime I would follow in my Dad's footprints. Maybe that doesn't sound all that smart of an idea, but I just finished high school a few months ago and I've spent most of my life living in one town with my Mom. And maybe everyone knows that I have feelings for Green," I pause and look around the streets at everyone else, "but you probably didn't know I went to school with her. You didn't know I saw her nearly died twice now! I...I love that girl! I'm sorry that some of you think that I'm just here for show, but know that my life...it's real. And Blaine," I say looking back at the Gym Leader. "Maybe you won't take a fight with Red, the 'guy from TV' seriously, but will you fight me, Satoshi Himura. Jr. named after my father, Satoshi Sr? I started this whole journey because of him, and I don't need these Belts or any fans to honor him, but I won't stand here and listen to you slander his name on television and get away it."

"...fine…"

"What?"

"I SAID FINE!"

"FINE!"

Blaine rushes towards me, and I raise my fists to defend myself. When he gets in close, I lunge forward for another Slash and watch as my claws go straight through Blaine! Wait, it's like he's not there. It's...it's just an image or an illusion or something! Looking around me, it's clear now that Blaine is purposefully making images of himself all around me to throw me off. His Agility is so great that he is making an optical illusion as if he is in multiple places at the same time!

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

With powerful speed, Blaine is able to TAKE DOWN me and a bystander to the ground. I see Blaine grit his teeth, blood in his gums as he pushes in on my ribs. He won't make this easy for me now.

"GET BACK YOU FOOL! THE FIGHT IS ON!"

The frightened man behind me wipes off his business suit, turns and runs away whimpering. I Slash at Blaine making him jump back. He quickly returns to his Agility illusion around me.

Concentrating on his movements, I start to notice patterns in his movements and can even see where Blaine actually appears to be more solid for a second at a time. I think I can do this same ability if I just try it! I'm going to try. Closing my eyes for just a second, I can see the green bug Scyther whizzing around it's enemies like a small army of bugs. That's it!

I replicate the Agility move and for a moment, we move at a speed faster than any eye around can see. Try as he can to mislead me though, I finally pick up on a pattern that Blaine is on before he catches me and swing my arms through the air and clap them for a powerful Wing Attack.

CRACK!

Blaine takes only a second to catch his breath before he raises an arm and makes a ring of fire appear in the air. Like a small bracelet, the burning hoop of gas hovers just off the surface of his skin and by the look on Blaine's face, the hoop is very hot. I try to rush him, but he clenches his hand into a fist, and the hoop expands to the size of a life preserver and comes flying after me! I try to swat it away by instinct only to get burned.

"OWW! Stupid."

"ORDER'S UP SATOSHI! WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS FIRE SPIN?"

I don't get a chance to reply before he creates a half dozen more of these burning haloes with each hand and sends them flying towards me. If they touch me they burn a lot, and if they don't touch me they hover close around me until they do. It's inescapable! I have to stop this!

CRACK!

But my Scyther Skill breaks before I can think of anything, and I feel myself go faint for a moment. Falling to my knees, I try to focus, but the heat is so bad I can't concentrate. I can't breathe! I can't do a thing.

"GET UP AND FIGHT! FIGHT MY FIRE!"

Fire? Fire! I need to transition to my Water Skill, Gyrados. Yes, get back up Red! I get back to my feet, standing in the middle of of a cyclone of flames and concentrate power into my palms. Looking up to Blaine, he seems to recognize what I'm about to do and takes a step back. Hydro Pump!

GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSHHH!

Blasting gallons of water from my hands through the cyclone and at Blaine ugly face, I watch him fall over on the ground.

Crack!

He gets back up and sends more of his heinous Fire Spin blasts towards me. The heat is so much. I can smell skin and hair on my arms burning, and breathing is near impossible. Closing my eyes, I shoot another Hydro Pump at Blaine and knock him down once more.

Crack!

He's down. I should strike, but I can't move. Falling down to my knees, I grab at my throat and gas for air. Choking. I'm choking!

Crack!

I can't think as my second Skill breaks. Come on Red, do somethin! Haunter Skill. What's he doing? He's getting back up!

I watch in an exhausted stupor as Blaine gets back to his feet and pulls back a single hand behind his back. Then like he were about throw a volleyball, he opens up the palm of his hand with fingers down and thumb up releasing a giant flame into the air! The hand shaped projectile expands to nearly ten feet tall and hits me like me like a concrete wall.

CRACK!

"Ah. Ah. Ah."

I roll around on the ground patting out little flames off of my clothes. The fact that they endured such a strike is incredible to me, but oh how much that still burns! Oh, it hurts. I'm on the ground? What just happened? That has to have been Fire Blast, the deadliest of Fire Attacks! Thinking of Fire, I switch to my Charizard Skill. I don't know Fire Blast myself, but I'm going to beat Blaine. Somehow!

I open my mouth and project the strongest move I know, Flamethrower. Blaine stumbles back and smacks at some flames on his clothes then rears his hand back for the power move. Think!

At that moment, I see a small bird Fly by like it doesn't have a care in the world. That's it! I bound up from the ground with Fly and watch as the Fire Blast passes beneath my feet by mere inches. Blaine rears his hand back once more, and I know I have to act fast. I dive straight towards him with my arms back and swing them forward for a Wing Attack.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

Blaine trips and falls back losing the energy he was forming behind him. Opening his mouth, he spits Embers into my face making me drawback for just a moment. That's what that feels like!

He gets up on his toes and readies once more for Fire Blast so I push off the ground towards him and go for a Slash to his face. For just a moment, I watch as he brings the glowing hot hard from behind his back getting closer and closer to hitting me at close range. Would a blow this close at the power level kill me? The heat is so much that I start to get choked up again, I open my mouth to gasp for air then release my Flamethrower one last time. The hot hand falls back, and the flame disappears.

Blaine collapses to the ground, his left arm around me pulling me down with him to the ground by his side. Both heaving for air and clutching our chests, we don't try to get up. I can't move. It's over. I don't care if I win this match or not. I just want to rest.

"Well Red...I admit it, you proved me wrong...those things I said about your Dad...your girlfriend...I'm truly sorry."

"You...mean it?"

"I do...I what I said...I was talking to Oak and the others...I let myself think that your story was made up by them...but I did try to go Saffron City by the way...I was helping Fuchsia City, but I would've helped protect Green if I had the chance."

"Thanks Blaine...I think...I think I won't kill you now then…"

"Oh good...I would hate that...I...oh, is this a friend of yours, Red?"

"I open my eyes and look at Blaine next to me then up on the sidewalk to see a pair of boots in front of me. The boots connect to black pants and over the pants are a long brown coat. Looking up to the man's face at first feels like trying to turn my head around backwards, but I finally make it. Wait, it's not him? But it's...it can't be!

"Red? Are you two OK?"

"Mr...Mr. Hayashi!"


	18. Back to Viridian City

32

"Hey sir, I...what are you doing here?" I ask as Mr. Hayashi grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. He tugs me up with a single arm and like it was easy. Didn't he have back trouble? Hayashi looks tall and strong. It doesn't help that I just got the crap beat out of me by an old man so maybe it's just in my head. Man, he found me laying in my own blood on the street like a lost kitten. I can't help but feel some irony when I think about the last time we met.

"Well Red...or is it Satoshi? You go back and forth!"

"Mr. Hayashi, you can call me whichever."

"OK, well Satoshi then, and you sir, are…"

"Blaine, and I was just leaving my good man. Take care around this one, he's tough."

Blaine smiles and getting to his feet, he dusts off his pant legs as if he just noticed he was in a public fight and this would make him look somewhat civilized.

"Satoshi," he says to me while he pats down his shirt and grabs his lab coat. "it won't be long before the Gym Leaders and Elite Four seek to investigate the men we were talking about earlier. When that happens, I don't know how things will turn out, but one thing I do know is that key leaders will be absent from their posts for an extended period of time. We haven't seen as much as a peep out of Team Rocket in days, and I think that is no coincidence. Kanto will need you to be ready to act at a moment's notice. Please don't let us down."

"OK…"

"Oh, and here!"

Blaine hands me the Volcano Belt, and this time I actually take it. As I look over it's shiny flames and pink material, I look up to see Blaine throw up a single hand as if that qualified as a meaningful wave then turn and make his way back towards his Gym. Is he angry with me or is he just awkward? I just don't understand that man. Maybe I never will. Hopefully the last Gym Leader in Viridian is a normal guy.

"Well wasn't that a pleasant man?"

"Yeah, we're real close! Ha ha!"

"HA! Hey, I have an idea. How hungry are you?"

"Oh, I'm starving! I skipped lunch to come here and fight him."

Green's Dad looks at a Skillfinder on his left wrist for the time and raises an eyebrow before insisting I come eat with him at once. On my request, Mr. Hayashi takes me to Growlithe's, and I get several tasty looking hot dogs, some fries, and a strawberry milkshake. Mr. Hayashi eats a single hot dog and vanilla milkshake with counted bites while I inhale my own meal. So hungry!

"Right then, so it's been awhile since we saw each other last."

"Yes, I heard that you turned yourself into rehab...oh were you in rehab here in Cinnabar?"

"Yes, and I am so glad that I did that! It wasn't that I needed any education or anything but just the stability in my life. I actually came here feeling quite sober physically, but I needed the kick in the pants to get my life back in order. Once I got here, I was so...so bored ha ha. I decided to commit myself to studies and taking care of my body and taking care to follow any and all program activities."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, by the end of the thirty days, I was cooking in the clinic kitchen, teaching sobriety groups, and working out with kids your age though not lasting as long as them I might add. And then Dr. Oak showed up on my graduation day."

"Dr. Oak? Here?"

"Yes, he showed up and gave me a Recovery Serum. He said it was from a Psychic Pokemon, not sure about that, but Satoshi, can you believe it, the stuff worked!"

I wonder if that Serum came from Mewtwo, the powerhouse experiment I keep hearing about.

"What do you mean it worked?"

"I mean I rubbed that stuff into the skin around my back where I got shot in the war, and the pain went away, and my Skills started working again! I can walk, run, and fight almost as good as I could back in the war! I've been dealing with this for years, and now it's just gone. Like instantly! I'm a new man!"

"What? That's amazing! Mr. Hayashi! How did your wife take the news? I bet she is thrilled!"

"Huh, well I…"

"You did tell her right?"

"Well I haven't yet no, but…"

"WHAT? But sir, how long has it been? Three weeks since you've been out of rehab?"

"Yes...I know…"

"But I don't understand. What on earth have you been doing?"

"I...oh…"

Hayashi stops talking for a second and plays nervously with his coat then when he sees that I'm still waiting for him to say something he digs into a pocket for something.

"Here...check this out!"

I take the card in my hand and recognize the font and logo of the International Police. It looks almost identical to the card that Looker showed me long ago. The card identifies Mr. Hayashi as "Hero."

"I received this code name. I'm in the IP now. They've had me doing intelligence gathering and analyzing data. Sometimes I'm just walking around and talking to people, and sometimes I'm reviewing files on the internet. It's quite exciting!"

"But...you're not answering my question! You got in IP, but how is that? And why didn't you tell anybody?"

"Satoshi...I burned those bridges. The last time I saw my wife, she looked at me like I was some rotten meat in the fridge. She is sick of me. My daughter...she…"

"Your daughter is in a coma right now. Did you know that?"

"I...yes, I heard, but I can't go there in person. They'll run me out of there. Satoshi haven't I done enough damage in the lives of those two women? I was invited to become Hero for the International Police and leave my old life of boozing and failure behind me. Wouldn't it be better if I stayed out of their lives and let them move on without me?"

"I'm going to say something important, and I want you to listen for a second OK?"

"OK…" he groans. "I'm Listening."

"Green, I truly hope she will get better, but the reality is that she may not. She could...not get better, and I have made a point of going back to check on her everyday to see her because I don't want to live a life of regret. I...can't sleep sometimes thinking about it. That I might lose her, but I accept that there is nothing else I can do than be there. You are her father! I...I lost my Dad seven years ago. I didn't ask for that nor did my mother."

"I know…"

"Please listen! It was hard and sometimes it still is. I miss him everyday. Losing my Dad changed me into someone much harder. I had to be tougher. I had to move on. It's true, but it's not the same for you. You didn't die. You may have tried to ruin your life and even thought you could take yourself out of your story, but that's just madness! You are still alive and now you're well! It's truly a miracle. You can't waste that! And your wife and daughter...they need you...they root for you...maybe you don't know it or you can't see it, but it doesn't change reality what you think. If you have any hope to get back into the lives of your wife and daughter, you have to take it. They don't have to move on without you. They don't have to endure that loss. You have made mistakes, but there is still hope. Please sir, I don't mean you any disrespect, but you cannot delay in this another day. Go to your family and make things right with them. Be there for them and make the name 'Hero' be more than just a nickname. You are your daughter's Hero go see her...at least do it for me."

"You think I can really do that? Even after all this time?"

"Yes, yes, I do."

"Satoshi, again the young must advise the old. Let it be said you are my hero. I did this rehabilitation out of respect for the kindness you showed me two months ago and I'm only better now because I took that first step toward turning my life around. I am overcome with self doubt and anxiety, but because of your courage, I will believe in hope. I will do it! I will go and see them! I'll even go now!"

"That's the spirit! You got this Mr. H!"

"Oh, that reminds me Satoshi. We should talk about something."

"Uh...OK."

"It's OK, you're not in trouble. I wanted to ask. Are you still dating my daughter?"

"I...yes, I mean the coma hasn't changed the way I feel about her, if that's what you mean."

"I didn't think so. No, I wanted to know if you love her?"

For some reason, the question throws me off a little bit. I look at Hayashi afraid for a second before opening my mouth. He looks at me longingly, holding his breath for the words I might say. I think he just wants the truth. I relax back into my chair and smile as I push my plate away from me.

"Yes, sir! I do! I really do!"

"Oh wonderful, and might I also ask, have you considered marriage? Do you kids even do that anymore?"

"I...yes, we do! I mean...marriage is very important to my family and upbringing sir, and I know it is your family as well. We...have talked about marriage, but I...well I haven't proposed to her...not technically yet."

Do I dare explain to him the visions I saw under hallucination in SAffron City? How I saw Green's darkest fear and greatest fantasy for her life? How I saw us getting married and holding a baby when he came home? Do I tell him these things?

"Oh, I thought so, Satoshi. I knew your father well and have great respect for the man they raised you to be. I only have to ask as I am her father. You understand?"

"I do. I hate to say it, but I had thought about talking to her about a proposal by now, but the incident happened, and I don't know...I don't know what I would even do. I don't know what I would say."

"Would you be faithful to her? Would you treasure her your whole life? Make her feel like the only woman to walk the earth? Learn from the mistakes of her father and vow to treat her like the beauty she is?"

"I...yes Mr. Hay…"

"Please son, you can call me Tetsuo. If you marry my daughter, you'll see a lot more of me, which is in part your fault now that I think about, ha ha, but you will, and you can't be my son and call be my surname. That won't do!"

"OK, Tetsuo then!"

"Nice, I like it. But let me ask, do you even have a ring?"

"Huh...I, no, actually...but we did go shopping a lot in Celadon and Saffron, and I tried to watch what rings she looked at when we visited the jewelry stores."

"But you didn't actually order a ring yet, right?"

"I...no…"

"Oh, good!" he says and digs into one of his coat pockets for something.

When he doesn't find it immediately he holds up a finger cuing me to wait then shifts his weight and begins checking his other pockets. At last he pulls out a tiny white box and puts it in my hand. I open it and take out a ring, an engagement band in white gold with diamonds cut into three little stones on the top. When I hold it up in the light, the stones shimmer and make tiny prims of different colors.

"You should give her this! It's her size. I double checked! She mentioned this to me one time I wasn't drunk and went with her on a trip to Cinnabar for a daddy-daughter date about….oh, four years ago. I have some earnings from my field work already, and I have only kept the essentials for myself and spent the rest getting this gem. What do you think? Isn't it perfect?"

"Mr. H...I mean Tetsuo, I think she would love it, but...I can't just take this ring from you. I have to pay for it."

"Satoshi, I don't want your money. Please, think of this as a dowry. A gift from your future father-in-law, a reward for helping me get off my butt!"

"But sir, I have made some money from my training, and your family could use that money. I can't.."

"Satoshi, this isn't a debate. It's not a cheap ring, but now that I have this job I'll be able to support my wife even more than I did before the war. Don't worry about me. Keep your training money, and go buy my daughter a nice home somewhere. OK?"

"I...yes, sir! I'll do that! Sheesh!"

"OK come here and give me a hug, and we'll Fly to the hospital together!"

We both laugh and stand to give each other a hug. My future father-in-law? And he gave me this wonderful ring? Can I be so lucky? I just need to hear that Green is awake. I need for her to be well. I need to hear her voice again and…

"Oh my gosh! What if she doesn't say yes?"

"Ha ha ha, relax. She'll say yes!"

"You're sure?"

"Now who's acting scared?"

Bzzzt! Bzzzzt!

"Haha, you got me. I...hold on, Daisy is calling. She was at the hospital. It may be about Green."

"OH! Go on then."

I hit the answer call button and put the phone up to my ear.

"Hello, Daisy...hold on, can I put you on speaker, I'm here with Green's father?"

"You...sure."

I set the phone down on the table and hit the speaker button.

"...Hello? Mr. Hayashi?"

"Hi Daisy, are you there with my wife and Green? How are they?"

"They are doing fine sir! You should come see us when you get better."

"I'll do just that my dear. Let Emma know I'll be there soon."

"OH! OK, please forgive me, but can I bother Red for just a minute?"

"That's fine!"

As Tetsuo gives her permission, I turn the phone off speaker and put the phone back to my ear.

"What's up Daisy?"

"Red! Ugh! It's Blue! That jerk brother of mine! He's broken up with Summer!"

"He did what? When?"

"Just a moment ago, they were in Viridian City. He just got his Belt, apparently there was something shady involved about it, and Summer confronted him, and he just said the most awful things to her! I mean terrible. She's in tears now! I asked Yellow to go and check on her and take her back to Lavender Town where her step dad lives."

"Uh...you may want to tell her to go back to Celadon City and stay with her sister instead."

"You think so. I thought she only was only sort of Erika's sister but really close to that Fuji guy."

Yes, but he may be about to go to jail the way Blaine was talking. Oh, and maybe your grandfather is, too! How do I say that to her? Why put them through the upset if it might not even happen?

"Whatever, Yellow will know what to do. He's good with these things."

He would know what to do since he may be the one arresting Fuji in the first place, but I won't tell Daisy that either. Ugh, I hate knowing secrets!

"Look, if Blue were not my brother, I'd tell her good riddance and move on, but this is crazy, even for Blue. It's like he's lost his mind and become somebody else!"

The Rare Candy! Blue must be acting worse now because of that.

"This is terrible Daisy! Can I do anything to help?"

"Help? I don't know! I just want my brother back! Please, go there to Viridian City and snap some sense into him. He won't answer his phone so don't bother calling him, just go and kick him back into gear...please...before he leaves. I...oh...let me call you back...sorry, please let me know what happens. Talk to you soon!"

The phone clicks, and I stuff it back into jean pocket.

"You have to look into that don't you?"

"It's my friend, Blue. I don't know. He's been taking these supplements and it's making him a jerk, more than his usual jerk self. He's apparently in Viridian City now. I need to talk to him."

"Go! Go and help your friend get his head back on his shoulders. You're good at that, I should know! Go help him and then come back to Saffron City and spend time with the Hayashi's. And don't forget this!"

I take the engagement ring from Mr. Hayashi and put it in my jeans pocket and thank him for my late lunch. He pays for our meal, and then we step outside. I watch quietly as he takes flight into the sky towards Saffron City, this strange man that I once saw lying drunk on the streets of Viridian. I have to go and help my friend. I'm hurry and talk to him and then, I'll go back and see Green.

33

With a full belly and engagement ring in my pocket, I feel on top of the world as I Fly. Heading north towards Pallet my home town, I can look down below at the place where I grew up and notice how small it is.

Part of me wants to stop here. I remember playing in the woods with Blue and chasing after Rattata with our nets. I can see Daisy gliding across the floor in her white sundress as she brings us cookies from the kitchen at the Oak residence. I remember my mother flipping my bedroom lights on and off and singing to me in the morning to wake me up. I can even remember seeing Green in class, her little smiles and waves in the hallways. Were our feelings for each other even present then? Oh, how I long for a chance to go back and be a kid once more! Just one more day in school, one more day of innocent fun and no care in the world.

But I don't stop for Pallet Town and keep on Flying. The days I long for are not in my reality anymore. They are but memory, and that's all they can ever be now. The moment I left Pallet Town to be a Monster Trainer I signed away my rights to being a child. I am a man now, and as a man I have to do things I don't want. That is one thing I remember my father telling me as child when I complained about chores. "Son, you don't want to do your laundry, and you've been able to let your mother do it for you until now. That is the boy in you, and that is normal, but one day you ought to be a man like me. Boys do only want they want and take care of themselves. Men sacrifice the things doing the things they want to do take care of others. I spend a lot of time doing things I don't want to do Satoshi, but I do them out of love. When you do something you hate because you love someone, that's when you've truly become a man!" And now I must be a man for my dear friend Blue.

As I pass Pallet Town and the clearing above, I see Viridian City at last. I happen to look towards the Viridian City Gym and see several people standing outside the front doors including my old rival and would be friend. Diving down towards them, I slow myself down and land on the soil slowly and on my two feet. It's taken several weeks for me to practice Flying like this, but I can say it truly paid off.

The crowd of fans appear to be trying to get autographs from Blue, but I notice he isn't paying them any attention. His eyes are trained on me. I'm not sure, but they seem almost bloodshot.

"RED!"

The fans all turn and acknowledge my presence then start bouncing in place like a bunch of bugs at a picnic. Their excitement at what's going on reminds me of the misplaced joy I saw when Blaine approached me in Cinnabar. This is no time for cheer, but they don't know that. Blue pushes those people in his way aside as if they were merely obstacles on his path and doesn't miss a beat or look back as one boy falls to the ground and begins crying.

"Red...what took you?"

"Blue, what the heck is wrong with you? You see that kid over there? You're acting strange. I just heard you broke up with Summer?"

"Yeah...so!"

He tightens a fist as if I said something insulting.

"You idiot! That girl is crazy about you. You both have a real connection. Why trash that?"

"What do you know about connections, Red? You don't even know how to get something in this life without taking it from someone else!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on now! You always were my grandfather's favorite growing up. You always wanted to date my sister. You always wanted to come over to my house and play with my things. Let's face it Red, everything you've ever want has belonged to me first. You want whatever I have. You even noticed that Green liked me so you moved on her. It's like this Champion thing. You think I don't know? You're gunning for the top, too!"

"What are you talking about? You're not making sense."

"Don't play dumb! It's in the news everywhere. Red is fighting his rival to become the next Champion. Red the hope of Kanto! Red, a true hero! But you knew that was always my dream! You knew I wanted to get out of my grandfather's fingers and make a name for myself. Let's face it, Red. The only reason you went on this journey was because I wanted to do it first. You wanted to be like me. Well you know what, we can't all be winners Red! You don't want to be Champion as much as I do, and that's why I'm going to win!"

"Win? What are you talking about? I don't want to be Champion. I did go on this journey because of you but not to take anything away from you! You're my friend, I wanted to do this adventure with you, and every step of the way you have tried to push me out! Why do you keep doing this? Why keep pushing everyone away?"

Blue stops talking for a second and looks away. That meant something to him. Gosh, I know my friend is hurting. What should I say?

"Maybe I did push people away...maybe they deserved it. What's it to you?"

"Blue, are you still taking those Rare Candies? I think they are messing with you head! You have to let them go."

"Stop trying to tell me what to do! You're just mad that you keep falling behind me. You want to catch up? You'll have to go and get the Earth Belt first. Go on!" he says pointing towards the Gym.

"Blue, I don't care about getting a stupid Belt right now. Can't you come with me and see your sister? She's worried about you. You should apologize to Summer, too. You really hurt her…"

"Feelings? Don't talk to me about feelings Red! I'm not as soft as you are. I don't need things like that. If you want to talk to me, you've got to earn my attention. Go and get the last Belt or turn around and go home."

Blue points behind himself towards the Viridian City Gym like I didn't see it there earlier. Despite a sign on the door saying "Open" I can't help but notice how dark the building looks. Something's not right. Why does Blue need me to get my Belt before talking to him? Has his narcissism really gotten this bad?

"Fine!"

"Go on then, I'll be waiting for you outside. Don't take all day now!"

Is he serious? I had no intention of getting three Belts in one day when I woke up this morning. I don't even know if I'm ready to beat this person. What if I totally lose? Is that the point? Blue wants to see me lose again and remind me how much better he is than me since he just got his Belt. Whatever!

When I make my way into the Gym, I see a large atrium with mounds of dirt stacked up on the sides to form a ridge all the way around the mud floor in the center. In fact It feels less like I've walked into a Gym and more like I'm going into the belly of rocky quarry or maybe a pit since there aren't many rocks. Despite there being many people outside, the whole building appears to be vacant. A single spotlight aimed down from the ceiling on the ground reveals a mat. I walk towards it and hear a click behind me. Did the door just lock itself?

Turning back I see a fan reach out and touch the door then try the handle. It doesn't open. He looks at me in confusion then points at something behind me. I turn back around and see a man standing on top of the ridge all by himself. He has on an orange suit and nice shoes and appears to be fiddling with something in his hand like a cell phone. Is he playing a game?

"You must be Red!"

"I am! Who are you?"

"My name is Dan Mirty," he says looking up from his phone for a second then looking back at it as if he had something more important to focus on. " I am the Viridian City Gym Leader, and if you're Red then that means I can finally do this and get out of here."

"Do what?"

"Ha, kill you, of course!" Dan says putting his phone away.

"What did you say?"

Dan pulls out a remote from his pocket and hits a button causing a gate I hadn't noticed to my right to open up. As the gate slowly goes up, I hear the faint growls of some animals from the other side.

"What is this?"

"This is the pit, my friend, and you walked right into it! Face the wrath of Kanto's toughest Ground type Pokemon. Enjoy this moment while you can. They won't give you much time to struggle."

Looking back at the gate, I see a Diglett come burrowing into the room. Diglett? These little mole looking things are so only show their heads above ground and move through dirt like an otter swims through water. It doesn't make sense how fast they move in the ground! One of these things isn't really all that scary. I...wait! There's more! Oh wow, there's maybe a dozen of them now! Wait, what's this? The Diglett are moving in packs of three! Oh, these are called something else. Its…

"Dugtrio! The evolved Diglett," Dan answers for me.

"Dan, what's this about? Why use Pokemon instead of face me yourself? Why fight in the dark? Where is everyone?"

"Ha, not your usual sing and dance huh? Are you disappointed that your fans aren't here to congratulate you? Well there's no lights and camera in here for you. I have the generator turned off and a jammer in place to block out any signals. No one can send calls or messages to you or even track you in here and of course no messages out either!"

I pull out my phone and notice that I have no signal. Looking at my Skillfinder, I see it's still turned on, but there is an error signal on the screen meaning some of the bluetooth/wireless features are not functioning. I'm in a deadzone with this guy and whatever tricks he has for me. Dan smiles at me from on top of the ridge. Ugh, I can't stand him! I didn't want another dash of drama today, but this is dangerous. This guy is not playing by the rules. I have to be smart or I might not get out of here alive!

BADOOOOOOM!

I jump back as a Dugtrio pops up out of the ground next to me like a stick of dynamite.

BADOOOOOOM!

BADOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Dugtrio keep Digging underground then bursting up all around me. I have to stop this somehow before they get to me. Rising about six feet off the ground, I can safely watch the Dugtrio move around under me without risk of attack for a second. Flinging my arms back and then diving forward, I Wing Attack the nearest Dugtrio in their little brown faces. The remaining pairs reroute around me and try to flank me from the side, but I rise into the air again and dive for another one.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

I Wing Attack another Dugtrio, and this time the others all scatter to the edges of the room.

"WHAT ARE YOU DUMB THINGS DOING? FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

I look up at Dan who is clearly taken off guard by the behavior of these Pokemon. Is he an idiot? Why would he use the Pokemon to fight me instead of face me himself?

"THEY AREN'T THINGS, DAN! These are wild animals, Pokemon. You think they'll just fight me because you ask them to?"

"Grrrrrrrr! I expect them to attack you because you're in their pit, but maybe not! Maybe they won't, but I know the others will. You can fight them all at once for all I care!"

"All at once?"

But the truth is revealed soon after when Dan hits multiple buttons on his remote and multiple gates begin opening up around the room. Out from the left come a Nidoqueen and a Nidoking, the blue and purple creatures that evolve from the top of the Nido Pokemon. They are quite big for animals, probably around four feet tall and over one hundred pounds each. Another pair of them appears from the right, and when they all emerge at the same time, they hold open their little hands and start forming Poisonstings. Oh no! Each one of them could make dozens of those needles! I could die from that amount of toxin in a matter of minutes!

Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk! Shk!

I jump into the sky to dodge the Poisonstings then maneuver around in the air as more and more needles come hurling towards me,

BAAAAAAAM!

"OWWWW!"

Just when I was feeling safe in the air, a huge rock knocks me down like a switch striking a fly. I grab my jaw and lick up a taste of blood in my mouth as the source of my last surprise reveals himself. I get back to my knees and look eye to eye with a giant and rocky Rhyhorn, the big beast from the Safari Zone! I take a deep breath as Rhyhorn grunts and a piece of rock pops off of it's body and levitates toward me as if being moved by a giant, invisible hand. I have to get out of here, but I can't move…

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!

Crack!

I cringe as the Stone Edge falls on top of me and cracks my Charizard Skill not to mention knocks the wind out of me. Now I can't Fly off the ground anymore. That was my best advantage here! Looking up from beneath the stone, I see that Rhyhorn is preparing to use the same attack again. Checking my left and right, I can tell that the Nido gang is making more Poisonstings. It's time to counterattack! I transition to my Gyrados Skill and slide out from under the rock.

Rhyhorn sends the Stone Edge for me, but I I propel the Hydro Pump at him and knock the Stone Edge back into him and then push him back. I keep the pressure flowing into he falls over then spin my feet and sweep the room making the Nidoking and Nidoqueen drops their needles and fall back. In fact the two Nidoqueen and one Nidoking turn and run away.

The remaining Nidoking holds out a hand and touches the ground in front of himself making it change to solid black. What? The black earth rises from the ground in a way similar to Stone Edge and comes flying at me. I dodge the strange Earth Power but only barely as it slams into the ground next to my right leg. I catch my bearings and send a Twister coursing for Nidoking. He flinches and turns around to run away.

Turning back towards the Rhyhorn, I see another animal coming in from behind him, a Rhydon. Rhydon is the slightly bigger and upright version of Rhyhorn. I have these two beasts left to fight so I better focus. Rhyhorn and Rhydon both make a Stone Edge and throw them my way.

This time I'm ready to use Hydro Pump and blast them back. Rhyhorn growls and turns to run away whereas Rhydon seems to only get more aggressive and comes charging towards me. He Stomps his feet on the ground making the earth shake around me and causing me to fall down. I get back up only to get headbutted in the face with Rhydon''s Megahorn.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Crack!

I transition to my Nidorino Skill and roll out of the way as Rhydon tries to Stomp me flat. Jumping to my feet, I decide to use my old favorite for Rock type Pokemon, the Doublekick. I launch into a barrage of strikes as Rhydon tries to hit me with it's big horn, but with timed and well aimed strikes, the beast can't stop me and starts to wear down. At last I deliver a final blow to its face, and even the fierce six foot tall, two hundred something pound Rhydon turns and runs from me.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! What's wrong with you guys? Do I have to come down there and fight him myself?"

Dan punches several buttons on his remote control, but it looks like whatever plan he was hoping for with these Pokemon has failed. They simply won't respond to him. They have no will to fight me. I actually feel sorry that he tried to use them this way.

"Get down here you coward! Game's over!"

"YOU!"

Dan throws down his remote control and sprints down the hill towards me only to trip and fall halfway down. By the way he stumbles and gets up, I can tell he has twisted his ankle, but he is so mad that he gets up and tries to run at me like it doesn't bother him. I let him get close then charge him and grab him by the collar. Dan grabs onto my wrists and flails about, but he is in no condition to fight me.

"Start talking! Why are you doing this? Are you acting alone?"

"It didn't work! You were supposed to be dead by now. He told me killing Blue was optional but definitely kill you."

"Who told you to kill me?"

"Uh uh uh, a magician doesn't reveal his secrets, at least not for free!"

"Good thing there is nothing magical about you!" I say slapping him in the face.

"Owwwww!"

"Now listen up! Who hired you? What did you attack me for, money?"

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"Yeah, and why kill me but give a Belt to Blue?"

"Uh duh, Blue has the stuff man. If you have the stuff, you avoid the rough. Why, do you have the stuff, too?"

"Are you talking about Rare Candy?"

"Yeah man, that's the stuff! You got it?"

"UGH! You disgust me. No, I don't have your drugs, now quit messing around and unlock the door. I'm done playing games with you."

"Ha, you wish. You'll just have to sit here with me until Giovanni comes back. He always checks on his work."

"Giovanni?"

"Oh, oops. I shouldn't have told you that."

"No, you shouldn't have. This changes things! OK, then. Let's go!"

I release Dan's collar but reach behind him and twist an arm behind his back to make him walk with me back through the valley of the Gym towards the front door. He winces in pain and pleads with me the whole way. This guy is no Gym Leader. I'm embarrassed to have come here today. When we get close, some people outside the door are waiting in anticipation for us.

"OK, last call, unlock that door. You can do it the way that hurts or the way that doesn't."

"When Giovanni gets here…"

But I don't let him finish his empty threat. I grab him and hoist him overhead like a log and chuck him into the door as hard as I can.

SMASH!

The glass shatters and the doors bow in where he impacts. The fake Gym Leader groans but doesn't try to move as I pick him up and put him over my shoulder and push open the doors to walk outside. When I exit, Yellow is waiting for me. He looks at Dan and his busted mouth and limp body on my shoulder then back at me.

"Red? What happened? Why did you just chuck the Viridian…"

"This may have been a Gym Leader at some point, but now he is just some junky on Rare Candy, a goon working for Team Rocket."

"Team Rocket? But that...oh my gosh, Dan Mirty was the mole...You trash! You sold out Kanto to the enemy. You're the one who gave him resources and intel on us, didn't you?"

Dan doesn't say a word but instead just laughs to himself. I set him down on the ground and officers of the IP come and take him away. I look around the area for Blue, but he's gone. What's his deal? Spectators all come up trying to ask me questions, but Yellow intervenes for me and helps me get out of the crowds.

"OK, well, I have to say good job once again Red. I'll make sure that you get an Earth Belt."

"I really don't care about that right now. Blue was here...he bribed Dan for a Belt. Dan used Pokemon to attack me...II just need to get some rest for a minute if that's OK."

"Whoa, no kidding. Well I'll find Blue and look into Dan character. Don't you worry about that. Can I do anything for you? You look beat."

"Can I go to the Focus and get fixed up, maybe take a nap? I was about to check on Green again and see how she's doing, but I just need a break first."

"I...yes, let's do that Red! Hey, can I see your phone for a second?"

At the instance he asks this question, my phone begins beeping with tons of notifications and missed messages. What happened while I was in the dead zone?

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's actually some good news," Yellow says taking my phone out of my hand. "...but I don't want you to worry about anything right now. Just let me take that for now! I'll get you to the Focus and fixed up and after your nap, you go on over to Saffron. OK? Sound good?"

"I...you're not giving me the option are you?"

"Nope, haha. Just trust me on this! You'll thank me later."

So I agree and listen to my friend and go to the Focus on IP escort. I get some kind of fancy tea with vitamins in it and slurp it down before using the Recuperation Bed. When I get out, Yellow sends me down the hallway to the locker room and instructs me to shower and take a nap, and he will get my clothes cleaned. I don't understand why he is being so nice to me but whatever. I can't complain.

I follow all of his instructions and after a nice two hour nap, I wake up feeling totally recharged and ready to go. As I put on my clothes, I find my phone and beside it a gold colored Belt with an emblem of a green tree in the middle. It's the Earth Belt, my eighth and final one! Cool! I pull up my phone and start reading the messages, but I can't comprehend it all. Green is awake?

"They're from everyone you love telling you the good news."

I sit up in my pod and look to Yellow who has the biggest grin on his face.

"What's going on? Is it true?"

"Yes, Red. Green, has finally woken up! I made sure that you got refreshed before worrying about it, but now you should be ready to go and see her. Are you ready?"

"Am I? Thanks man!"

"No, problem! You go on over to Saffron and enjoy the night with with family. I'll call you tomorrow about this serious stuff with Blue and Giovanni."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Go on, you have today to tell her everything you need to tell her. She could use you, more than you know. Get to it Champ!"

"All right! I'm going to Saffron!"


	19. Back to Saffron (The Hospital)

34

As I approach Saffron City Hospital from the sky, I can see a couple of people looking intently at me from the roof. I lower myself gently down onto the top of the building as I wave at both Sabrina and Koga. Koga has on his all black ninja uniform and Sabrina her long black dress, and to my surprise I notice they are even holding hands this time. Such an interesting couple. Sabrina steps towards me and speaks first.

"So you're back, are you ready to see her?"

"Yes, I think. I mean what are all these messages about her mood though?"

I read over some messages from Mom and Daisy explaining that Green is awake and speaking but grouchy and won't leave her room. I wonder what's wrong. Maybe the medicine in her body is wearing off or something?

"Well just know that she is vulnerable now more than ever. She has been through a lot. I did my best to help ease her mind, but it's up to her now."

"What do you mean?"

"Red," Koga says as he steps forward. "Sabrina here has been busy these last few weeks watching over Green and the two of your families. We suspected that Giovanni would retaliate when you two were injured and had trainers take turns securing the building for you against possible attacks."

"Not only that, but Green went into a coma, and we had feared that she would suffer irreparable damage to her mind," Sabrina chimes in. "I used my Psychic abilities to speak with her in her mind and reassure her. It took longer than I hoped, but at least Green has woken up with her sense of reality and memories in tact. I'm afraid that she is struggling to accept some things now that is awake though. I trust you can help her with that, right?"

"I can...I mean I will, and thanks! Thank you for everything! Both of you!"

Feeling a bit sentimental, I try to get a hug from them, and I'm surprised when they don't resist me. Some of the people I've met on my journey have become so much more than rivals. These two in particular feel more like family to me. I wouldn't be where I am right now without the two of them.

Koga motions for me to go ahead towards the fire escape and make my way downstairs. I give a wave and head to it. When I reach Green's floor, the area outside of her room is buzzing with life. I see a nurse talking with Mom and Daisy. Behind them and partially in the door are both of Green's parents. Everyone looks very concerned and panicked.

"But she can't stay in there all day!"

"Let her Emma, I mean she just woke up, it's probably overwhelming!"

"I just need for her to sign on this paper, and she's good to go."

"I don't know about that. I mean not to be difficult, but can you come back later? She's in the bathroom now. Or maybe can her mother sign?"

"I need for the patient to sign this herself if that's OK. I'll check back in a few minutes. Give us a call if you need anything, OK?"

"We can do that. Thank you!"

The nurse turns around and walks back down the hallway. Daisy notices me coming forward and runs up to me and gives me hug. Mom soon follows up with a hug as well, and I nearly smother for a second.

"Hey Red! Oh, you got my messages? Where have you been?"

"I…"

"I just want you to know, you may have to wait. She isn't in a good mood right now."

"Yes, sweety," adds my mother. "She was really distraught when she woke up. Emma got her to take a shower so that she might feel better, but I think she's just really sensitive right now."

"Daisy, Mom...come on now. Just let me see her. I'll talk to her."

I don't ask as I pass them and get in eyesight of Green's parents. They both stop talking and look at me. The Hayashi's both force a smile and give me a hug which I warmly welcome, but not without looking over their shoulders for Green. I can't see her exactly from the door, but see her shadow reflecting on the wall from the bathroom. She's doing something with her hair I think.

"Red, it's good to see you again my boy! You were right. I told Emma everything."

"Yes, he did! And of course I took him back, the big dummy. Honey, please don't ever hesitate to come home again!"

"I won't dear. I won't."

"I'm so happy for you all. How did Green take the news?"

"She…"

"She's happy I'm back, Red, but she has these scars. I don't think they look that bad, but I think it's really got her down. We tried to get her to leave this hospital, but she's being stubborn."

"Oh, Tetsuo, show some sensitivity!"

"I am, but she can't avoid this forever."

"Can I...can I talk to her then? Maybe I'll have better luck."

"Oh Red, I don't know…"

"Oh, let him see her Emma. We're all here now. Maybe if we all go in there at once, she'll open up to us."

"Actually...I'd like to speak with her alone for a moment if that's OK."

Her parents look at me then back at each other and back again then finally step out of the way. I walk into the room and turn back to grab the handle. The Hayashi's start to give me a look of protest, but I insist and whisper "five minutes" to them before I close the door with a click. I watch through the window as the group outside all take a step back and start saying something I can't make out. As I turn around, I notice how quiet it is in this room. Trickles of light leaks into the room from under the bathroom door and from the edges of the black out curtains pulled shut on the window. I hear nothing at all but the sink as it turns off then as if from a dream, I hear her voice.

"Mom? Dad?"

I don't answer at first. I'm not sure what to say. I'm totally freezing up! Relax Red!

"Is someone there?"

"Hey...it's me" I say as soft I can.

The bathroom door, barely cracked open to begin with, suddenly slams completely shut.

"Red? Is that you?"

"Hey, Green, yes it's me!"

"Oh, you're here...um...hi, sorry, I can't come out right. I'm completely naked! Can you come back in a little bit?"

I walk over to the door and stare at the knob for a minute before saying anything. I have no desire to walk in on someone in the bathroom let alone embarrass Green, and yet I feel this pull to open the door. Is it because she said she's naked? Because I'm incredibly attracted to her and now she is only inches away from me after all this time. Visions of our lovemaking start to flood my brain, but I know this pull towards her is more than lust. Tetsuo, said she had scars. I know she might have some. I saw the wounds and then the bandages. I came all this time to see her in that coma. But she doesn't remember that I guess. Maybe she learned it and it embarrassed her. I can't help thinking that I have to see her though. Maybe not look at her but I can't leave here without talking to her.

"Green, I'm right out here. It's just me. I wanted to talk to you."

"Red...I...I'm glad you came to see me, but you can't be here now...I'm...kind of a wreck...can you just come back later? That's OK right? Just wait a little bit and come back?"

"Green...babe, what's wrong? I know you only take a few minutes to get yourself dressed. You're like an expert at this sort of thing!"

I hear her laugh.

"Your father is back! Oh, he and I talked today over lunch. Aren't you happy to see him? He's been thinking about and your Mom and was so nervous about coming back to see you."

"Ha ha...he told me...yes, I'm so happy to see him. He's back to normal, better than normal. I'm so happy…"

But as I listen carefully, I hear quiet sobs from the other side of the door. What happened? She's hurting, and I feel so powerless to do anything. I decide not to open the door, not yet at least, but lean my head and and arms against the door. The oak feels cold in my hand and firm as it holds me back from her.

"Red...I can't believe I was out for so long...I made everyone worry about me...I'm such a failure…I...nearly died, and now I'll never be able to do training again."

"Green...hey, it's OK. You know that's not true. You'll recover and get back to training in no time!"

"I don't think so, Red."

"I know you've been through alot but listen to me. This isn't you. You're much too stubborn to let anything keep you from doing training."

"But Red...you and Blue are so ahead of me...I will never catch up with you two…"

"Sure you will. I honestly have been going crazy fast and need to slow down myself. And Blue, well don't get me started on him. He's gotten in way over his head. No one should try to catch up with him. But you'll get your strength back and get back out there. I know it!"

"And what if I don't want to?"

"I know you! You want this. I mean, come on, Green hiding out in the bathroom? You'd kick my butt if I told someone about that."

"But Red...they tried to fix my...these scars...I have so many...they couldn't get rid of them…I...look so terrible!"

I try to make sense of her words, but they're too muffled between tears. I listen in for a minute, but her crying only gets deeper and louder. OK, Red, you better go in there! I try to turn the knob and let out a sigh as the knob turns, and the door starts to open back towards Green allowing me to barely see the sink when…

BAAAAAAAAAM!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

In a jerk reaction, Green tries to shut the door back and slams the corner of the door into my face and popping me in the square of the jaw. The thought "serves you right" flashes across my brain as I recoil and grab my mouth and step back. The door doesn't shut however and immediately opens back up revealing Green with a damp head of hair with one hand holding the door and the other firmly pressing a towel up to her body. Her teary eyes paint a picture of the afternoon, a dance with determination and depression, shock and acceptance. She tries to step forward but keeping her arms strategically placed. I notice that she has put foundation on her face in an attempt to cover up a small "X" on her cheek. Both of her arms have similar grooves on them from the drill that nearly killed her weeks ago. Is this what she was hiding?

"Oh my gosh, Red! I'm sorry. You can't...what were you thinking?"

"It's OK…" I say clutching my jaw one last time then trying my best to act like it doesn't hurt. Am I tasting blood in my mouth? No, I can deal then. Green tries to step back and pull the door shut, but I throw out an arm and hold it in place while grabbing the door frame with the other. I could easily overpower her, but this isn't a wrestling match I just want her to know I'm not going anywhere.

"Red...please...I didn't want you to see me like this," she says looking as if she just admitted her guilt in some crime.

"See you like what? I want to see you Green. I've missed you. I've worried about you, and here you are...you're alive and well. I don't care about these little scars. Just please, let me touch your face. Let me hold you."

But Green doesn't want me to touch her for some reason and tries again to push the door shut. I try my best not to apply much pressure but hold the door in place. She struggles for a minute and then at the last moment, before I can think to form the words, I see her step into a small puddle of water on the floor. She stumbles and falls forward but swings the door out and falls back. I dive forward to break her fall and nearly hit my head on the commode in the process. She lands on top of me and the towel lands a few feet away. As we both sit back up, I can't help but feel Green's warm body against mine. She looks down to her body and for just a second so do I, soaking in all of Green's body, her bosom, her bare torso, and legs. Every inch of her body is so perfect to me and completely natural save the Skillfinder still attached to her left wrist and...what's that? Green crosses her legs and takes one arm to cover her chest while the other hand she uses to cover a dark place on her side.

Looking at her face, I can tell she is embarrassed. She is taking shallow breaths and if I'm not imagining it, I can see her chest heaving back and forth. II sit her comfortably on my lap as I lean forward and grab the towel and wrap her up up in it. I can still feel the warmth of her body, the tension in the room is smothering me, but I pull her in close to me and feel her wrap her arms around me and let out take a deep breath.

"I...you saw...I'm so…"

"Shhh...I'm sorry for startling you. Breathe baby, please relax and breathe."

"Red…" She takes another deep breath. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I didn't want to lie to you, but you see now. What he did to me...I...can't fix that scar...I can hide it, but it looks so bad. The doctor said I may have to wait a few more weeks before I fight seriously again, and I heard that you're basically done."

"You really that much about being caught up with me?"

"No, not really. But the doctor, he said that I...the wound was near my...I might have trouble having children now."

"Oh, Green," I squeeze her in my arms and kiss her hair then rubs my arms all over her back. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was that bad."

"It's humiliating. I care so much about family, and I did what? I went on this crazy journey and now I may never have kids now. 'Hey Dad, great to see you, oh by the way, while you were gone, I ran away from home and nearly got myself killed and oh, you may never have grandchildren now.' 'Gee, daughter that was a very stupid idea of yours!' What was I thinking?"

"Green, we all were pretty immature about this journey. None of us knew that Oak was the Champion or that he wanted us to train and fight Team Rocket, that he knew about them all along."

"What? He's the Champion? He knew…"

"It's a long story, and I'll fill you in, but right now, I need you to snap out of this. Please, can you look at me."

"No…"

"Kyomi, please!"

She leans back and looks at me in the eyes. I can see her pain so clearly now. Whatever I say now, I pray I can say it right and also delicately.

"Why, why is it you can call me Kyomi? Why call me that? If anyone else calls me that, I let them have it. They know I want to respect my father's service, but you...when you say Kyomi, I feel something else."

"Do you feel...peace?"

"I...yes, how do you know?"

"Peace is how you make me feel when I'm with you. When you called me Satoshi I felt the same way you just described. Though I have to be honest, my journey has been very confusing, and I feel like I can't keep on going like this anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't go on being Red. I can't go on being the kid from Pallet Town. I can't be the TV hero or whatever the news makes of me. I want to be Satoshi, if not to the world, to someone, and I want that someone to be you, Kyomi."

"You do?"

"I don't just want to fight or sight see on my own. I need a partner. I need you. Not because you are the most beautiful woman I know and you are…"

"Satoshi…"

"Not because you're the toughest woman I know either, and I know some tough women from Kanto, too!"

"Oh, now stop it!"

"It's true! And I don't care what you think anyone did to tarnish you. I...hurt in my heart seeing you in so much pain, I do, but no man or thing on this earth could tarnish the woman I love. You are the love of my life, and nothing will ever change that."

"Oh...my gosh...Red...I mean Satoshi…"

"I'm very burdened with responsibility these days, and I'm worried about Blue, but I honestly couldn't care less if I had to drop everything to come and be here with you one more day in that coma. It would be worth it!" I say holding her face in my hands as she lets out another tear. "Gr...Kyomi, I talked a lot with your Dad today. He's so cool!"

"He is! Why, what did you talk about?"

"You father wanted to know what intentions I had with you, for us I mean. I told him everything. What I knew for sure in words and what I felt in my heart."

"And...what was that?"

I smile at her and lean back for a second as I dig into my jeans pocket. It takes longer than I want and the whole time Kyomi holds her breath and looks at me like she will need to jump away any second. When I finally pull out the little white box, she leans back and nearly drops her towel all over again.

"What...what is that?"

I open the box and hand her the ring with three stones. The dim bathroom light is bright enough to make the little diamonds sparkle as she holds it up close to her face. I have the urge to tell her to breathe again, but instead I just smile as she turns it over in her hands.

"Kyomi...I know this probably isn't how you wanted this to happen, but…"

"...yes…"

"...I really wanted to tell you, and I don't know how to do this right."

"Yes…"

"I mean I hope you're not mad, but will you...wait, what did you say?"

"YES! Ha ha, yes, silly!" she says punching me in the arm.

"YOU'LL MARRY ME?"

"YES, OH MY GOSH, IF YOU'LL LISTEN! YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES!"

I grab her carefully behind the head and pull her in close for a kiss. She holds me tight then begins kissing me all over my face and neck. I can't help but laugh and try to kiss her back. It's so hot in here! Did we just get engaged? We're getting married! I can't believe it. I'm going to be sick! No, I'm just excited! I'm so excited!

Suddenly the door opens and I hear voices from outside.

"Hello? Red? Green? Is everything OK?"

"Honey, where are you? Yellow just got here to see you and Red. Can you come out?"

"We're coming Mom! Just a second!" Kyomi yells.

I help her get to her feet. She has me turn around and grab her underwear from a bag on the top of the commode. I hand them to her and laugh saying "I DID touch you underwear this time!" She snatches away and puts them on, and this time I do look away for a second so as not to be rude. She isn't my wife yet anyways. She then points on the back of the bathroom door, and I reach over to the hanger and grab her black dress, the one she wore to impress everyone at the Viridian City Gym. The one that caught my eyes and I love to see her wear. She pulls it on over her head and then pops a puff of her pine perfume on her wrists and rubs it in. Now I can barely contain my joy to be so close to her that I lean forward and start kissing her all over.

"OK...OK, ha ha, let's go out there, before they come looking for us in here!"

"OK!"

We step out of the bathroom holding hands as the Hayashi's, my mother, and Yellow and Daisy all pile into the hospital room. Yellow flips on the light and we all wince for a second then I smile as they stare at Kyomi. I'm so blessed to have such a beautiful woman in my life.

"Hey guys...what's going on?" Yellow asks.

"Green...you got dressed?" her mother remarks.

"Oh, doesn't she look beautiful like her mother!" her father gloats.

"But...hey, what's that on your finger Green?" Daisy asks.

The others gasps as Kyomi holds up her right hand. I didn't even notice her put it on so quickly.

"Well everyone...I...I'm sorry for making you wait, but I'm ready to leave this hospital...and oh no big deal, but WE'RE ENGAGED! WE'RE GETTING MARRIED!"

The group cheers and dances around us. We break out into laughter and tears of joy and the room is filled with hugs and kisses. I couldn't imagine a more wonderful way to end this day.

"That a boy son," Tetsuo whispers to me. "That a boy!"


	20. Indigo Plateau and Cerulean Cave

35

For the next several days after I propose to Kyomi, my life kicks off into hyperdrive. I'm fortunate that that night goes by sort of peacefully though. At my request, our family and friends take us out to Spoons, the restaurant owned by Sabrina's family in Saffron City only this time there are no hallucinations or visions. Shew! We get the whole restaurant to ourselves. Sabrina surprises us all by coming in makeup and a beautiful pink dress and Koga in a red dress shirt and black slacks. I never thought I'd see them out of their typical black outfits. They almost look normal to me for the night. Sabrina's sister serves everyone shabu shabu though Kyomi and I request the sushi, just to be on the safe side.

When we finish eating, Yellow and several IP officers agree to Fly us all home though I convince Kyomi to let me take her home separately. Hayashi gives me a wink as he takes his wife's hand and soars into the sky. Flying home to Pallet Town with Kyomi is totally exciting and seeing the night lights is amazing though I can tell that Kyomi is a little nervous by the she gets quiet and clings onto me as we take off.

"Is that what you saw every night when you came to visit me? It's so...beautiful!"

"Almost as beautiful as you!"

Kyomi kisses my cheek then tucks her face into my neck.

"Are you OK?"

"I'm fine! This feels great!"

When we get to Pallet Town, I make a stop at her house to drop her off. It's all I can do to let go of her hand as she walks up to the door on her porch. We make a promise to see each other again in the morning, kiss one last time, and then I step back and watch as she goes in for the night. I head home and say goodnight to my mother before heading to bed myself.

The next morning after breakfast, a group of people show up on our front porch. The first and most important person I see is Kyomi who punches my arm then walks into the house without asking for permission. Typical! After Kyomi comes both of her parents, Yellow and Daisy, and lastly a man I vaguely remember running into by Bill's house, Looker. Kyomi's father, Yellow, and Looker all have the traditional IP slacks and long coats while Daisy , my mother, and Mrs. Hayashi have some nice spring colored dresses. Kyomi and I are the odd ones out with our red and blue ensemble of training clothes.

Mom makes everyone coffee and seats us around the living room, with Kyomi and me sitting on the loveseat across from Looker. He takes the lead in the conversation and even refers to Yellow by his birth name, Seth Matis. He in fact appears to know everything about everything.

Looker reveals to us that his goal is for "Green" to train with her father and chase down the last wild bird that Yellow was hunting, Moltres. To this Mrs. Hayashi gives a concerned look, but her husband holds her hand and whispers something reassuring to her to put her at ease. I don't say anything or even look her way, but squeeze Kyomi's hand. I don't want her to be in danger, but this could be a good chance for her to get back into training as well as reconnect with her father.

The next bit of news involves me and Blue. Apparently after his argument with me in Viridian, he went charging up to Indigo Plateau and tried to take on the Elite Four only to get thrown in jail. Looker tasks me with going to Indigo Plateau to train with the Elite Four and try to talk sense into Blue as he detoxes from the effects of the Rare Candy in his system. I will then be considered for the position of Champion if it comes down to it as it seems several of the Gym Leaders have already put in votes for me.

"How do I even qualify? I mean there are people in the IP and Elite Four that are more well trained than me!"

"There are some, yes, but not many, and there is more to being Champion than being a strong Monster Trainer. It helps if you have a sober mind, devotion, faith, and have a good reputation with the people. Can anyone hear deny that Red has these qualities?"

The group smiles and shakes their heads.

"So it's decided then. You will train and lead us in the fight against Kami Sakiki and his Team Rocket and after that you will lead us as a nation. Don't fret, you won't be alone."

"I'm honored, truly! Wait! What about Oak, Blue's grandfather...the…"

"The current Champion? He's gone into hiding. Yellow will go back to looking for him today, but know that he and his secret club are held responsible for many crimes against Kanto including murder of the previous Champion, conspiracy, and exploitation of minors."

"Exploitation of minors?"

"Yes, we know that Oak groomed you three to go on this journey for at least a year before sending you out on his private mission to get rid of Team Rocket."

"But exploitation? That's a little strong isn't it? I mean, he wasn't honest with us, but he didn't hurt us or anything."

"Red," Daisy chimes in, "you may not see it, but look at Blue...look at Jack…He's so broken...so lost...I tried to defend him myself...but look where we are now...I miss him...I miss my stupid brother..."

To my surprise, she starts tearing up, and Yellow pulls her in close and pats her gently on her back. Seeing her like this is so strange, but I feel sympathy for her, for all those misled by Oak. I just can't accept that he is completely to blame for everything.

"Looker, I won't deny that what Oak has done was wrong, that he crossed some lines, and that he broke the law. I just want to say that I won't accept him as a scapegoat for everything bad that has happened. I talked to him before he took off...I don't know why he did everything that he did, but I know that somehow he thought that he was doing something good. There are other corrupt people in this government that must be discovered and answer for their crimes. How else could someone like Dan Mirty become a Gym Leader?"

"You speak the truth. He most certainly will face justice as well."

"Sir, I don't want Oak to get off guilt-free, but he shouldn't be thrown into the same league as Kami...Giovanni!"

"Many people will not share your balanced perspective on this, but if you speak up, they will respect what you have to say and listen. For now, let's focus on our separate missions, and I will regroup with you when the time comes. Questions?"

We all shake our heads.

"Good!"

36

For the next two weeks, we all go our separate ways to train during the day. I first head north to Viridian City and head back out west to Route 22 then north to Route 23. Though 22 is flat and semi wooded, 23 is hillier and filled with deep ponds similar to the ones in the Safari Zone forcing me to Surf to make it across. Once I bypass these two routes, I'm onto an area called Victory Road, the mountainous terrain under Indigo Plateau, our capital.

Despite housing a fancy training hall and the state building where the Champion and Elite Four work, the Plateau is quite barren. The air outside of the building is hot. The ground is barren to the point that nothing can grow there and certainly no one would want to live there, though I believe that there are few condominiums for state employees in a closed neighborhood behind the state building.

Getting to the top of Victory Road or as I like to call it "death mountain" is super tough. Road is a deceiving term for this long and tedious trek uphill that requires hours of hiking and Strengthing, my least favorite of Skills. Once I get to the top, I mark the building on my map and decide to Fly here from now on. What a relief!

I slip into a nice routine for training, coming to Indigo Plateau during the day to fight with other trainers that have collected their eight Belts as well as fight with the Elite Four themselves when they are free from work. When I get done with training in the evening, I Fly over to Fuchsia City or wherever I might run into Hayashi and Kyomi then either stay at the Focus in Fuchsia or return to Pallet and spend the night catching up with Mom on current happenings. One day in particular, I'm excited to come home and find Kyomi eating cookies with my mother on the couch together and watching TV. They flick the screen off as I walk in and ask me to sit and chat.

"So you have met them all then?"

"Yes, Mom, and they're pretty cool. Let's see, there is Lorelei a woman that uses Ice Skills."

"Isn't she the pretty one?"

"Ah come on, she's like your age, besides you know I'm into brunettes not redheads!"

"Right answer, babe!" Kyomi says teasing me with a cookie then taking a bite out of it before giving me the rest.

"So then you met that Agatha lady, too? The one from TV?"

"Sure did! She uses Ghost Skills, and man, is she sneaky! I never thought an old lady could be so tough, but she is no joke!"

"Wow, and what about the big guy, Bowser, I think?"

"Bruno, and man he is huge! He uses Fighting Skills. And don't forget the last one, Lance. He uses Dragon Skills."

"Dragon Skills?"

"I know right! Yes, he is pretty hard to beat because of those Skills, but then again so are all of them."

"Hard to beat? Does that mean that you HAVE beat them, babe?"

"I...yeah, actually I have."

"No way! I'm so proud of you! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well I just beat Lance today actually. He's the toughest of them all, and I've lost to him like five times before today, haha. I guess I wanted to wait until I had something good to tell you first."

"Of course you would! Oh, how is Blue? Have you talked to him recently?"

"Yeah, I talked to him. It's hard, you know? He's totally back to his normal self, but he's still stuck in a cell up there. I want to tell everyone he's sorry and get him out of there, but it's not that easy. Daisy can't even come see him yet, the Elite Four will only let me see him."

"Is he, you know angry?"

"Not as mad was I would expect to be honest. He has fully endorsed me for working with the IP and training. He even asked if I would fight with him when he got out, but you know without using Rare Candy or anything."

"Wait, he wants to fight you? Isn't that bad?"

"No, not like that. He wants go back to training the right way and knows that we're both pretty evenly matched. If I want to get stronger, I should train against a guy like him and vice versa. I heard from your Dad that you're catching up with us yourself!"

"I...uh don't know about that,no sign of Moltres yet, but I did learn how to do those environment Skills you learned earlier."

"Wait, really? What kind of Skills do you have now?"

"Ah, well I can use the Venusaur Skill to use Cut and my Clefable Skill to use Strength."

After talking about my last battle with the Pokemon at the Viridian City Gym with Yellow, I realized I could evolve my Nidorino Skill with a Moon Stone I got a long time ago into Nidoking. Once I did this, I thought of Kyomi and gave her one of the same Moon Stones I got at Mount Moon so she could evolve her Clefairy Skill into Clefable which is much more powerful. After that she told me, she bought a Fire Stone which she used on a Vulpix Skill she got Giovanni's and evolved that Skill into Ninetales. Ninetales in real life looks like a giant white fox with nine tails hence the name and is booth mysterious and beautiful to the eye, a perfect fit for my Kyomi!

"I'm glad you know how to do that now! Cool! Did I hear you can do the others, too?"

"Right, so that Aerodactyl Skill you gave me totally works for Flying…" she says referencing the Fossil Skill I picked up Cinnabar Island. "... all though that is probably my least favorite thing to do."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I mean I liked it when you brought me here the other day, but I hate Flying on my own. It's so scary. I can't explain it, but I guess I kind of hate birds, and I hate being up there alone with them."

"You hate birds?"

"Yeah, didn't I tell you I was attacked by birds in the woods when I was little, did I? And, I get a little nervous being up so high anyway...it's just not my favorite thing, and there are some cute birds to look at in pictures I guess, but I can't stand being around them in person. All those feathers and those...talons! And then being off the ground, it's so disorienting."

"OK, well whatever weirdo!"

"Babe!"

"Red, be nice to your fiance!"

"Yes, Mom...OK, I believe you, but I'm asking more about this later."

"Fine!"

"So are you Surfing now?"

"Yes, actually. Oh, didn't I tell you? No, I didn't. Mr. Silph was so thankful for me coming to his rescue that he visited me in Fuchsia City and offered me a reward."

"Yeah? He tried to give me money and stuff from his shops. You, too?"

"Not exactly. He let me have an Element Skill from a Pokemon called Lapras. It's like sort of like this serpent with a big belly and a shell and little flipper legs. Oh, I can't really describe it, but it's super cute!"

"Of course it is! So you can use that Skill to Surf then?"

"Yeah, I like Surfing the best actually."

"Isn't it the best? Man, I bet you look hot in that swimsuit!"

"Satoshi! Shhh!"

"What?"

"Your Mom is right there!" Kyomi says turning red.

"OK, OK, you two," Mom says, "Son, did you tell her about your new Pokemon?"

"It's new SKILLS, Mom! I don't have any Pokemon on me."

"Skills then."

"Yeah, well I have most of the ones you know about. Charizard, Scyther, Gyrados, and you saw me evolve that Nidoking Skill. Oh, and I ended up catching that Tauros the other day."

"Tauros?" Mom asks.

"Yeah, it's this crazy bull thing. I kept trying to talk with my wonderful fiance here and there was like thirty of those things running around making lots of racket. Every time we'd get somewhere quiet they'd go stampeding by. I threw rocks at them and that scared most of them off except this one that got really mad and started chasing me all over the Safari Zone. I'm surprised he didn't impale to death with those pointy horns, ha ha!"

"RED! Don't joke about things like that! Did he get you?" Mom says jumping to her feet.

"No, no! I'm sorry Mom, sorry. OK, OK, so I got that Skill from that Tauros, and he finally left me alone, and then that was that...oh, Agatha let me trade my Haunter Skill with her and then back."

"Trade it?"

"Yeah, I don't know, but for some reason if you send a Skill from your SKillfinder to a different one it causes that Skill to evolve then all you have to do is get the person to trade it back to you and you have a stronger more powerful one than before. Blue actually did that, too."

"He did?"

"Yeah, he has an Alakazam Skill just like Sabrina, and you have to trade to get that one."

"Oh, what other Skills does he have?"

"All good ones I have to say. I mean you knew that he had Blastoise and Pidgeot and then Alakazam, but he also has Exeggutor, Arcanine, and Rhydon."

"Oh those sound really tough!"

"They are, you know he actually gave me some really good advice the other day and I...well let me just show you."

"Yeah?"

I get up and run to my room and come back with my Bill Box and open it to reveal some new weapons I have been collecting. Several advanced trainers use weapons and tools to mimic Pokemon moves while in battle. Giovanni in particular cheated by using modified weaponry that can bypass Evertone armor and manipulate the Skillfinder allowing for fatal attacks on opponents. After talking with Blue about the subject, I decided that I needed to consider evening the odds.

In a small pouch, I have some dark soil, the same kind I saw Nidoking use to turn into Earth Power. Next to that I have a small stone that allows me to concentrate Ghost energy into a Shadow Ball, a deadly move I saw Agatha use in battle and much more powerful than most Ghost type attacks. Propped between these two items are my personal favorites, blades of a fallen Scyther. A gem from the Safari Zone, I found them and had them forged into wieldable swords by none other than Warden Bob. It was actually his idea that I could use them to do a powerful Bug type move some Scyther know called X-Scissor.

"Wow!"

"Cool huh? I...hold on."

Bzzzt Bzzzt!

Looking at my phone, I nearly fall over when I read the name that flashes across the display, Dr. Oak.

"Who is it, babe?"

"Hold on…" I say and answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Red! Are you there?"

"It's me, Dr. Oak! What's going on?"

Kyomi stands alert and listens in quietly.

"Red, the way I left things...It's unacceptable, I admit it. Blue shouldn't be in jail, and I will see to it that he gets out soon. I also want you to be the next Champion properly."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to fight me."

"What? Fight you? But I can't…"

"Red, it's imperative that you show up to fight me. Please continue your training, be ready for the fight of your life!"

"Dr...I…"

"I'll be at Indigo Plateau, training room in two weeks. Do what you have to do, and I'll see you there! Goodbye, Red!"

"Dr..." I start but the phone clicks off.

37

So for the next two weeks, I continue with my training and focus on learning as many moves I can and getting as strong as possible.

I contact Yellow and inform him of the call from Oak the following day and hear surprising news about Blue. Apparently one night, Oak came and posted the bail for Blue and then turned himself into the jailer. When Yellow and Hayashi were notified, they left home in the middle of the night and went straight to the jail to discover that Oak had Transformed into a Ditto. The real Oak was still at large, and now so was Blue. Looker insisted that I go ahead and plan on meeting Oak and that he may very well want to fight me, but that the IP would be watching and waiting to seize him the second they saw him.

After two weeks of training, I raised my Skill levels to 70 and felt ready to fight anyone and anything that came my way, but I found a new stressor had me feeling all kinds of incompetent. Sitting on the living floor at the Hayashi's, Kyomi has me looking at different fliers for wedding vendors. Her parents have been pacing the floor looking over the pictures and occasionally nodding or shaking their heads and giving vague responses which seems more annoying than helpful to me, but Kyomi insists on all of us helping out.

I want to help with this tonight is the night. Oak could call me any minute. Everyone knows it, but I feel like the others are somehow able to pretend like nothing special is happening tonight and focus on the reception. Ugh, I wish I didn't have to think about Oak or Team Rocket or any drama right now.

"Satoshi, you didn't answer me. Do you want to do seafood or poultry at the reception?"

"I'm sorry babe, um, let's go with poultry. We don't get enough of that in Kanto."

"You think? I mean, I feel like my parents are kind of picky."

"Oh, don't worry about us dear!" Mrs. Hayashi says. "Oh, Tetsuo, I just remembered that I didn't put away the dishes. Could you help me with that?"

"Sure dear!"

Kyomi's parents smile and retreat to the kitchen. Thanks for nothing!

"Can we just do sushi? I feel like everyone like sushi."

"That's true...OK then."

Much to my delight and horror, we have bounced back and forth from town to town either doing extensive training or thorough planning for our wedding, and I'm exhausted. Kanto has the cultural confusion of different influences which makes it hard sometimes to decide on a basic location and set of rituals for things like weddings. Traditional Shinto weddings are still popular, but modern Western traditions have also been in the mix, too. Whenever people ask us, I feel like my head will explode trying to pick out some obscure detail about our wedding day. Not to mention that the list of possible guests seem to keep rising by the hour. We're contemplating inviting some two hundred or so people that I don't that well at all and possibly leaving part of the reception open to random fans.

"Satoshi...I'm sorry, I'm just going to ask you. What do you want?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I know we've been planning this for weeks, and it's a head ache for you. It is for me, too! What would you like?"

"Me?"

"Yes, please just tell me."

"OK, I think we need to stop trying to plan something so big and elaborate. Can we do something small?"

"How small?"

"Like let's just have our parents and maybe our closest friends, nobody else. Let's get married in the Forest this spring, and maybe just get something local to eat."

"That's what you want?"

"Yeah...you think it's terrible, but..."

"What, no, oh Satoshi! I love it! Can we just get some food from that place where you got me lunch?"

"The sandwich place?"

"Ha ha, yes, oh my gosh! The sandwich place, oh it's perfect!"

"You mean it?"

Yes, oh my gosh! I just can't stand all this stupid planning stuff! I just want something meaningful that ends with me marrying you. End of story!"

"Awesome! I'm glad you feel that way...oh Kyomi, I can't wait..."

Bzzzzt! Bzzzt!

"I..hold on…"

"Is it him?"

I check my cell phone.

"It is. It's Oak."

"Well don't wait! Go! He's waiting for you!"

"All right, geez, I'm going. Love you!"

"Love you," she says with kiss. "Be careful!"

I nod to her and smile. Her parents run up to me from the kitchen and give me a hug, their faces now more serious. I turn and walk out the door to see some of my neighbors standing outside looking intently at me. Did somebody tell them about tonight?

I do my best to bring my focus back to my ringing phone and finally answer it. The phone hangs up when I try to answer, but a text message comes across the screen reading simply "I'll be waiting."

I Fly into the night sky and head northwest toward the Indigo Plateau. Passing all of the nearby forest and the lights of both Pallet Town and Viridian City I can't help but feel a sudden pang of fear. Am I just going to fight Oak or is something bigger going down? Is it a trap? What if I make plans to Kyomi that I can't keep? What if I sign up to be the Champion, and instead of living a life of love and joy with her, I bring nothing but dread and uncertainty to our future? Should I risk doing that to her, after all she's been through? Maybe I should turn around and get her. We could run away together! Oh, but I could never live with myself if I ran from something. No, I have to go tonight and see Oak and when the time comes, I will face whatever challenges come with being Champion.

When I get to the Plateau at the top of Victory Road, I see the street lights surrounding the training facility. I'm here now. I have to remember why I started all of this in the first place. I wanted to be a man of devotion, of love, even courage like my father. Tonight, no matter what happens, I hope my father is proud of me. If I don't make it, at least that will make everything worth it. No, I can't forget about Kyomi! Ugh, my brain hurts. I'm not ready for whatever this is, but I have to be. Somehow, get yourself together Satoshi!

I land on the street in front of the building and run up the stone steps to the big double doors of the training facility. To my left and right, I see IP hiding in the bushes. They are ready to attack which is what I should be now, ready to fight. I open the door and walk down a dark hallway toward a cracked door leaking light towards me. As I open the door, I find him waiting for me under a single overhead light in a big gymnasium. Walking up to the professor, I see that he hasn't come prepared for battle by dressing in fighting clothes but instead has on his favorite lab coat and slippers.

"Dr. Oak...I'm here."

"Red, please come here. There is someone I want you to meet."

"OK?"

"Please hurry, we don't have much time," he whispers waving me closer.

Though he looks totally unsuspecting, I came prepared for battle. With my training clothes on as usual, I also have attached various pouches to my Belt so that I can easily access them during battle, but most notably I have holstered the twin Scyther blades on straps across my back. When I first got them, I had no clue how to swing them, but for the past few weeks I have practiced using them everyday for hours on end. At this hour, despite all the history and memories I have of Blue's grandfather, I prepare myself exactly how I will strike Dr. Oak down should it come down to it.

But when I get close to him in the dark, I can tell that he isn't going to attack me. In fact he appears to have been crying and is shivering like a life in the wind.

"Red, thank you...I'm...so sorry for all I've done...I didn't know for sure if you'd come…"

"I know, I know, please tell me. What is this about? You told me you wanted to fight me!"

Oak raises a shaking hand and then points to the right. I turn and look and see something move in the dark. On instinct I reach my hands back so that I can touch the handles of my swords with my fingers. I wait a few seconds as the object moves slowly towards me and then put my arms down when I realize what I'm looking at.

Mewtwo.

"Red, we don't have much time. I...tracked him down over the past month or so..but I found him...he is in danger, and you are the only one that can protect him...I lied to you...but only sort of...you will make a great Champion, much better than me...I fully believe in you. I...could have been a fight for you in the past, but no, I won't be fighting with you."

"Oak, what is wrong? Why are you shaking?"

"I told Yellow everything...I told Blue...Blue will help you...you can trust him...maybe you still have anger towards him, but please take that out on me...it was never his fault...I…"

SHK! SHK! SHK! SHK!

Before he can finish whatever he is about to say dozens of needles fly dig into Oak's body. He doesn't say a word but just stands there with his mouth open, blood dripping from his lips. I reach out to Oak but he slips between my fingers and slumps to the floor.

THOOOM!

I watch as a ball comes flying across the room and hits Mewtwo right in the face. In a couple of seconds, I see his whole body glow like hot lava and then turn into a small ball of light and enter the ball before it falls to the ground. What just happened? The ball just captured him. Looking back into the dark, I see my answer.

"GIOVANNI!"

The man that has caused me so much trouble over the last several months and all of Kanto for that matter comes crawling out of the shadows like the demon he truly is. Dressed in a black suit with a Silver band wrapped around his left arm, he walks past Oak and me and collects the purple and white ball holding Mewtwo. I want to tear his face off, but I stick close to Oak.

Why use this ball? Then it hits me. A few weeks ago, I heard Yellow talking about using a Siplh Ball to catch Articuno. Silph as in Silph Co. where Giovanni showed up in hopes of stealing something called a Master Ball.

"Is that a Silph Ball or Master Ball? That's why you attacked Saffron City. Why you tried to kill everyone there? You wanted to use it to catch Mewtwo!"

"I did, and honestly I felt really defeated that day despite getting the Ball because so many of me got captured and not not mention, someone damaged my Skillfinder. I had just modified it to track Mewtwo's location, but Oak was my bait to finding Mewtwo and boy did he deliver, ha ha ha! I was so mad about the delay, but everything worked out in the end."

"Oh well I'm not sorry for cracking your GPS thingy and slowing down your plans."

"Ha, you did throw a good punch I suppose, but you didn't crack my Skillfinder. That was some bratty girl from Pallet."

I feel my fists tightening.

"But you know, I thought she was dead for sure! Word is that she made a full recovery and is getting married to you!"

"She still has scars on her body from where you attacked her!"

"Oh? Well that won't do, maybe I can stop by Pallet tonight and pay her a visit. She won't mind will she? I mean the past is in the past."

"You stay away from her!"

"Oh, so you're the boss now huh? Yeah, I heard Oak saying to you to come here prepared to battle for the title of Champion, how exciting! Too bad he's a total wimp. I'll tell you what. Drop this foolish plan to be a hero and take your girlfriend to Johto...no actually, I'm going to take over that country next...maybe Unova..."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR ALL THE PEOPLE YOU'VE HURT!"

"Oh, I know, I figured you'd say that, and to be honest, I don't really believe in letting things go…"

I reach overhead towards my swords. Giovanni prowls around me in a slow circle like a hungry lion. This could be quick. The next person to strike could determine who walks away and who dies.

"...and I would like to fight you for, I don't know, sentiment I guess, but the game is over, kid. I mean look at me!"

He raises his hands above his head and rings of fire start to form, then he lowers his hands to his side, and the flames turn into a blue mist. He points his fingers at me like little guns and water starts shooting out onto the floor in front of me. I step back and draw my swords in front of me as he raises one hand out and another above his head, the stance to use Thunder.

"This move didn't work on me Himura, but I'm curious how it will do against you if I use it with Mewtwo's powers. Want to see? LET'S DANCE!"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Just as I prepare myself for the pain of my life, a giant burst of energy comes blasting through the window and hitting Giovanni like a train. I watch in amazement as he goes flying back and crashes into the wall and falls to the ground. Looking out the window, I see Looker. I wave to him and he waves back.

"What just…"

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOOOM!

But before Giovanni can say another word, the IP outside begin an all out assault on the room blasting every inch of ground near Giovanni with a deadly Hyper Beam, a hand generated blast of energy meant for complete destruction. Giovanni rolls out of the way just narrowly avoiding what I can only imagine would be a painful death and then soars into the air, busting through the ceiling.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" I cry watching him get away.

"RED!" Looker calls to me. "We have to recharge. We'll stay here with Oak, but you have to follow Giovanni! Do not let get him away with that Mewtwo Skill or all of Kanto may be doomed!"

"You don't have to tell me twice! I'm going!"

I set Oak down on the ground and squeeze his hand.

"Hang in there, Dr. Oak!"

"Don't worry about me...the plan will work...but you have to follow Giovanni...stop him...for good!"

I don't know what plan Oak is talking about, but I nod to him and then take flight through the ceiling. I rise into the night sky and squint my eyes for any sign of movement. At first all I can see are stars and the flicker of street lights. Then off to the east, I see something moving. Giovanni!

I Fly straight towards the object and confirm it's him. Giovanni looks back over his shoulder and sees me then hastens his flight. Is he scared? I don't get it. He got this Mewtwo creature which is supposed to be all powerful and he wants to run away from me. He must know how much I want to kill him!

I chase after him for several minutes, but he doesn't let up. At times we run into clouds, and I nearly lose him, but then I find him once again.

Before I know it, we are back over Mount Moon looking down at Cerulean City. Giovanni dives down towards the river west of town and marches into a small space between some boulders. I dive down for the entrance only to see the rocks smash into place in front of me. I put out my arms and use Strength to move one out of the way.

Running into the cave, I see Giovanni Surf across some rushing waters and then climb out on the opposite bank and go down some stairs. I jump into the waters and follow him down the stairs. When I make it to the next floor, I'm greeted by an incredible sight.

Giovanni runs across the tiled floor through what appears to be some sort of laboratory and places the Master Ball in a large machine. Looking around the room, I see that he has been quite busy building whatever this facility is and...there are Rocket Grunts everywhere! Out from every nook and cranny come dozens of men and women in black and silver costumes surrounding me completely. There bright red "R's" gleam at me like the eyes of silent killers in the jungle. I feel my heart begin pouding as I take them all in and look back to see one of them is now standing in front of the stairs back out. A trap! But I look closely at the man as he pulls his cap up and see his face. Koga? He smiles at me and nods for me to turn around towards Giovanni.

"Well Red, or Himura, or whatever your name is," Giovanni starts, "I'm actually glad you're here. I'm going to complete the plan I set out to do all those years ago. I'm going to finish the cloning project that I got Oak and his buddies involved in but this time do it myself. With this Mewtwo and this machine, I will mass produce an army of clones and unleash them on Kanto. We won't even have to fight anymore because we will engineer these clones to be obedient and respond to my commands. That's all I ever wanted, for people to listen, ha ha ha, and now, now Kanto will have no choice because if they don't listen to me, they will have to answer to Mewtwo."

"Giovanni, I know you have a grudge about the past. What...what happened to you was wrong. But you can't do this. Please have reason! Pokemon aren't meant to fight our battles, and this plan...this plan gives you power based on fear. You may get people to listen but not without becoming a monster in the process. They won't listen to you! They'll run and hide from you and curse your name all your days, but I promise you they won't listen to a man they can't respect!"

"HA! You know I think you're right. I think I need to change my outlook on this mission, yes. I've had it wrong this whole time. You know what...LET THEM RUN! LET THEM HIDE!"

Giovanni runs like a mad man up some steps and starts touching buttons on a machine causing a tube to open. He turns towards the tube and prepares to put the Master Ball in it. No, you don't!

Shk!

Giovanni winces and flinches as my Poisonsting cuts into his hand making him drop the ball. The Grunts all raise their fists and growl at me. I survey the room, looking closely at their faces. In the crowd I start to notice that nearly a third of Team Rocket appear to be people I know but wearing the black garb. I look back and see Koga by the stairs. He nods and motions to my left. I turn and see Sabrina, Surge, and Yellow. They all smile and look behind me. I turn around and see both Erika the Gym Leader and fake Erica or as we now know her, Summer. Turning back to look at Giovanni, I see that he can tell something is wrong. He looks down to a group in between the two of us and furrows his brow. Looking in the crowd myself, I see them, my closest friends, Blue and Kyomi! I can't explain it but seeing her here in that outfit, with the tight black skirt and some long Silver gloves and tights, I can't help but fall in love with her all over again.

"Kyomi, it's you! How did you know?" I say turning to her.

"I had no clue until tonight, haha, but Yellow called me a couple of days ago and told me he had a surprise party planned for you...This is clearly not a party, but Yellow knew if he told me about this place, I wouldn't wait for a plan, I'd just come straight her on my own."

"It's true! You're here now, all of you..."

My friends all step forward revealing themselves to the others.

Kyomi turns to look at Giovanni and stick out her tongue making him even madder then turns back to me.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR CHAMPION? GET HIM!" she cries.

And with that, the Rocket Grunts and my insurgents turn on each other as I sprint towards Giovanni. He clips the Master Ball back to his belt and jumps over a railing to charge me. I know that he will try any number of attacks to take me down, but he will use the Mewtwo Skill which is Psychic. My best bet is to rely on my Bug and Ghost Skills so I draw the stone from my belt and transfer pure energy into the ball which then flows back out into my hand in the shape of dark sphere.

Giovanni pulls a hand back and forms an incredibly big wave of Psychic energy then flings it towards me. Psywave huh? I used to dread this attack from Sabrina, but now I have a solution. Jumping into the sky towards the wave directly, I chuck the Shadow Ball straight at Giovanni. The ball of energy makes the light in the room invert like a negative photograph for a second and causes the Psywave to split into halves that fade away. The Shadow Ball drives toward Giovanni and hits him square in the chest.

Stumbling back Giovanni hits his back on the rail behind him and falls to his knees. I don't hesitate and follow up my attack with another Shadow Ball. The second flickers and changes the color in the room once more as it nears Giovanni, but this time he raises a hand and a similar energy comes out of him and destroys the Shadow Ball. Checking my stone, I discover that he has rendered it useless. I can't get it to activate again!

Giovanni gets to his feet and pulses another negative energy blast of Nightshade at me and knocks me down. I try to draw my swords while Giovanni tears off his jacket and holds it above his head turning the material somehow into a large rock. I charge him, but he makes the Stone Edge fly towards me and knock me on my back causing me to drop the Scyther blades. Looking to my right, I watch as Kyomi blasts two Rocket Grunts into a wall using Solar Beam, a giant blast of green energy. Blue uses the deadly attack Fire Blast that Blaine used on me to take out three more bad guys. Get back up Red, you can do this!

I flip over onto my chest and push myself off the ground and jump out of the way as a Fire Spin impacts with the ground where I just lay. Turning around to face my opponent, I watch as he holds his hands out in the stance Yellow used for Thunder. I open a pouch on my waist and pull out the dark material that allows me to use Earth Power and send a massive projectile towards him. Earth Power cuts through his attack and knocks him back off his feet but some of the electricity still zaps me knocking the breath out of me.

I gasp for air and grab at my chest as Giovanni gets back to his feet. He glares at me and sticks out both his hands at me showing that now both of his hands have a Horn Drill mechanism. If he hits me with either one of those, I could easily die. Looking down at the floor, I can see the Scyther blades right in front of me. Don't blow it Red! Get him!

He charges towards me, and I dive for the ground and scoop up the swords sliding right towards him. I grab them then quickly tuck and roll as he jabs a Horn Drill into the ground at me making a small crater. I turn and roll again as he thrusts the other Drill at me missing my heart but making a gash across my shoulder and nicking my cheek. I touch my face and feel the warm blood on my fingers as I get back to my feet. Giovanni tries to rush me again, but this time I'm ready. I run forward and just as he tries to use his drills on me for the last time, I swing down both blades in an overhead diagonal arc and chop them off.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"

He screams as he looks at his now useless weapons and the blood trickling from his injured fists. X-Scissor worked but Giovanni is still on the attack. He pulls his arms back and holds his arms above his head and makes a dark purple cloud form over his body that expands and then quite suddenly knocks me back. My ears pop and nausea courses through me as I slip to one knee and drop a sword. I reach down and grab it only to look up and see he is going to attack me again.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Psychic blast knocks me back into a machine with hard thud. Some control stabs me in the back and my head making it throb with pain. I peel myself off and charge forward as he tries once more to use this pesky attack. Giovanni forms the blast and sends it towards me as I dive through the air for him with all the might left in me. The blast hits me in the face, but my momentum allows me to keep going towards Giovanni with the blades in the familiar arc. I swing them down toward him with all I have, and this time make a broad "X" across his chest before falling flat on the ground in front of him.

All at once, the sound of screaming and fighting ceases. I raise my head just enough to see Giovanni's boots as they fall back, and hear his body slams against the floor. Looking around the room, I see that many of the Rocket Grunts are knocked out while the remaining ones are standing with their hands behind their hands, panic across their faces at the sight of their fallen leader. I set the swords down and grit my teeth as I climb up first on my knees and then slowly back up on my feet. Looking down at Giovanni's face, I can see the shock in his eyes, blood seeping from his chest into a pool around him.

"This fight is over, Giovanni! I didn't want this, but you gave me no choice."

"Himura...Himura..."

I step over to to his side and squat down taking the Master Ball from his belt and clicking a button on it without even acknowledging him. The Ball glows and a strand of purple energy emits from the side then expands into the size of a man before finally changing back into Mewtwo. He looks at me then everyone else before levitating into the air and Teleporting away.

"Go Mewtwo, be free, and never be a weapon for any man's scheme again!" I say as he leaves.

I look back at Giovanni who has started to tear up.

"Himura...Red...Silver...find him...find Silver…"

I lean down near his face and turn his head towards me. He looks up into my eyes in complete desperation and pain. He knows this is it.

"What are you saying to me?"

"I...I failed...yes, but please find my son...find Silver...don't let him...don't let him grow up to be like his father...don't let him grow up in fear…"

"Where is he?"

"I tried to...but he wouldn't listen...he hates me..."

"Where is Silver, where is your son?" I repeat.

"He's in Johto...with Alfie and my lieutenants. I sent them to Johto...Please…"

"OK, Giovanni. I don't have any desire to do you any favors, but I will not rest until all of Team Rocket is punished for their crimes. I will catch your lieutenants and I will liberate your son. I can do that for you. Know this, my father died trying to save you, and despite you actions, I, like my father will commit all I am to finding your son."

"Thank...you…"

Giovanni closes his eyes and begins shaking and choking on his own blood. I lay his head back down and turn to the others. I hold his hand for a moment until he stills and check his pulse. He's gone. It's over.

"He's gone everyone. Let's go...let's go home!"


	21. Epilogue

Epilogue

Following the confrontation at Cerulean Cave, we collected the body of Giovanni or the man once known as Kami Sakiki and buried him along side all of those who died and were buried together in a field behind Indigo Plateau. When asked later if his information should be changed at Memorial Tower back in Lavender Town to reflect his more recent cowardice and hostility, I refused.

Yellow and a crew of IP left for Johto and have begun an investigation into the whereabouts of a young boy named simply Silver, the one we believe to be Giovanni's son. According to Dr. Fuji, Silver had similar facial features to Giovanni but also long, red hair, and after asking around Kanto, it appears that several people did in fact see him a few times securing that he is no fantasy and a real boy, out in the world without his parents to help him. At this time all known members of Team Rocket have been accounted for in Kanto except for the three men that broke out of jail earlier including Alfie, Butch, and Jesse, but I trust the International Police will soon find them. Oak recently made contact with a friend in Johto named Dr. Elm who claims to have seen the boy running around his neighborhood and will keep an eye out for him.

Dr. Oak recovered from his injuries and then immediately turned himself in. Apparently his last mission to help Kanto was to draw out Giovanni from hiding. He nearly died in the process! I would have thought that a heavy price to pay on its own for his crimes, but he also took full blame for neglecting Blue and inciting him to anger and rebellion and consequently drug use.

Blue has completely recovered from and parted with his dependence on Rare Candy and began making public statements to make people aware of the dangers of using the drug. Despite its effects on his psyche and body, he has maintained sobriety and actually made great strides with repairing relationships that he damaged. One of his first moves was to apologize to his sister Daisy and then her best friend Summer, the latter of which accepted his apology and has started dating him once more. There's even talk about marriage between the two of them though he told me this would have to wait until he paid off some debts.

Blue publicly forgave his grandfather for everything that happened and has told us that he is applying for the position of Viridian City Gym Leader in place of Dan Mirty who happens to be in drug rehab on Cinnabar Island. Though Blue will have to consider going back to his birth name Jack Mizushima for the job and acquire an additional Skillfinder for Ground Pokemon Skills, he seems willing to do what's required. I have already endorsed him for the job and believe it will stick.

During the hearings of the men involved in the Mashmo death conspiracy, Oak, Fuji, Bill, and a few others were all investigated and charged with conspiracy to murder. The trial didn't appear to be going well for them, but their estranged friend Blaine as well as Gym Leaders Koga and Lt. Surge made good character witnesses for them which overall got the jury to empathize with them. I made a statement to the press defending Oak and the others good contributions to Kanto while also their not so good contributions, and soon after their sentences were reduced to community service and various legal fees instead of prison. Though their reputations may be forever clouded, enough people believe in them that I think they will continue to serve Kanto in some capacity only now without the fear of being caught in a lie.

Mewtwo left Kanto and no sighting of him has come up since the day he was released from Giovanni though there have been sightings of a small, similar looking creature flying around Johto. I can only guess it is his biological parent, Mew. I'm hoping that Mewtwo, and all Pokemon stay out of harm's way for years to come and vow to let no man try to weaponize any Pokemon or use them directly for battle as Team Rocket tried to do.

Mr. Silph turned over his blueprints for the Master Ball to the International Police for the sole purpose of them catching dangerous Pokemon and then releasing them somewhere they can't hurt anyone. I'm told that Hayashi ended up catching the last legendary bird, Moltres, which was quite difficult for the other IP offices to try and do and released him with the other two birds west of Cinnabar Island. They haven't been seen since.

Yellow apparently had to use a Silph Ball on a Snorlax after weeks of it traveling out of the woods and onto the Cycling Road and back and eventually laying out in his front lawn blocking Daisy in their house. He told me he had tried to move the creature several times unsuccessfully, and I did offer him a Flute, but he didn't believe me or didn't like my story about what happened with the other Snorlax I encountered outside Lavender Town.

Following the excitement of the final battle with Team Rocket, I was soon after sworn in as Monster Champion of Kanto. To my utter surprise, the former Champion, Oak technically, had received a nice estate outside of Indigo Plateau with several acres of land and a three story house, though he had never accepted it and left it instead to the next is a lot bigger than anything I thought about for a home growing up, but I'm happy to share it with Kyomi and hopefully some kids in the future.

The evening of my inauguration, another celebration was held in Viridian Forest. Looker or as he later revealed himself, Handsome Mann, which I find to be the best/worst name ever, ordained the wedding for Kyomi and I. The guests included JBlue who has changed his name back to Jack, Summer, Yellow, Daisy, all of our parents, Dr. Oak, and the 8 Gym Leaders from Kanto. I wore a black tuxedo with a red sash and Kyomi a white dress with a red shawl. She was so beautiful! Everyone came and celebrated and danced the night away.

Kyomi sometimes still struggles with the trauma of what happened to her in Saffron City, but she no longer tries to hide her scars. She and her father have chosen to stay in the IP, and I can now say that she is officially the hottest lady on their roster! Shortly after the wedding, we were asked by the public if we would continue to use the names Red and Green and someone even suggested we take new but similar names like Fire and Leaf, but we promptly declined promising to return to our birth names.

When we got home from our wedding, we found an incredible amount of gifts from people all over Kanto including matching bikes from Mr. Velo, a guy I remember running into back in Viridian City months ago. We don't NEED to ride bikes anymore, but we decided to keep them for the occasional cycling date on the weekends.

This whole journey didn't go quite as I planned, but now I know that I can serve Kanto as her Champion and fight the good fight for my country out of faith, hope, and love. I live each day now heading the restoration of Kanto myself, training side by side by some of best friends a guy could have, waking up each morning to kiss and share my love with my wonderful bride, and of course, setting old scores straight.

Old rivals that we are, we can't help but egg one another on. Call it good or bad, one secret I learned about and shared with my friends are the caves of Mount Silver, located in the woods behind our new house. I like to come out here and sit and collect my thoughts for a second when things get to be too busy but have let two people come up here. One is Kyomi who loves to watch the sunrise with me when we remember to get up here. The other is Jack and that's because Jack and I will follow each other into oblivion and back if we can prove the other wrong.

"Satoshi, I totally beat you on that cruise so quit playing!"

"Jack, you and I both know it was a tie!"

"Dude yeah because they called the clock. You know I was seconds away from whooping you off the deck and into the water!"

"Yeah, whatever man, prove it!"

"Hey you two," Kyomi interjects. "Are you going to fight or just stand there and talk smack at one another?"

"You want in on this Kyomi? I won't hold back just because you're the Champion's wife!"

"What? Satoshi, get out the way, I'm going to kick some butt!

"Oh, Jack, you pulled the 'wife' card man. Big mistake!"

"Whatever loser, if you two team up you just might beat me, but you don't stand a chance, I don't care what they call you!"

"Alright man, let's do this then!"

And after all this time, I stop and acknowledge that some things may never change.

The End


End file.
